Your skin is the largest organ in your body. The skin is our body’s main defence against the elements. It protects us from disease and infection and is constantly sending important sensory information to the brain, renewing, cleaning and healing itself. But sometimes it needs a helping hand.
With that in mind it’s clear you must look after your skin as it plays such an important role in our lives.
By keeping your skin clean and healthy today you may also protect your skin from problems tomorrow.
All of us at some point in our lives suffer from skin problems, from white patches and dryness to dull-looking skin. Perhaps most common of all however is Acne.
Acne is a skin condition that causes spots. Acne most commonly affects the skin on the face but can also affect the back, neck, chest and arms. The symptoms of Acne can vary greatly in there severity.
It is estimated that between 80 to 90 percent of teenagers suffer from some form of Acne. However, the condition can, in smaller numbers affect adults, with women being more likely than men to develop or continue to get Acne.
In rare cases Infants up to 24 months can develop the condition.
Note; In children under 24 months Face Fresh should not be used for more than 2-3 consecutive days.
Acne can cause greasy skin, red or yellow spots (pustules), blackheads (open comedones), whiteheads (closed comedones), cysts and scarring of the skin.
Acne is caused by overactive sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands are found under the surface of the skin and produce sebum, a natural oil that keeps skin smooth and supple.
Sebum comes to the surface of the skin through tiny holes called pores (which is also where individual hairs grow from). If you are prone to Acne the hormone testosterone (found naturally in both men and women) produces excess sebum sending it towards the surface of the skin. Simultaneously, dead skin cells lining the opening of the hair follicles which hold the hairs aren’t shed properly and clog up the follicles.
These two effects cause a build up of oil in the hair follicles causing blackheads and white heads to form. Often for some people, their Acne does not progress any further than that.
However, the build-up of oil can leave the environment of the skin prone to the growth of a bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes. The bacterium feed of the sebum producing substances that cause an immune response, inflaming the skin and creating the redness we associate with spots.
In more severe inflammatory acne, cysts develop beneath the skin's surface. If these cysts rupture, the infection can spread. This can result in scarring
It's important to keep spot-prone areas clean and so wash the affected area twice a day with a cleanser.
Types of Spots
When the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. Whiteheads may show up as tiny white spots, or they may be so small that they are invisible to the naked eye.
A blackhead occurs when the pore opens to the surface, and the sebum, which contains the skin pigment melanin, oxidizes and turns a brown/black color. It is not dirt and can not be washed away. Blackheads can last for a long time because the contents very slowly drain to the surface.
A blackhead or whitehead can release its contents to the surface and heal. Or, the follicle wall can rupture and inflammatory acne can ensue (see below). This rupture can be caused by random occurrence or by picking or touching the skin. This is why it is important to leave acne prone skin relatively untouched.
Inflammatory acne
A papule occurs when there is a break in the follicular wall. White blood cells rush in and the pore becomes inflamed.
A pustule forms several days later when white blood cells make their way to the surface of the skin. This is what people usually refer to as a "zit" or a "pimple".
An inflamed lesion can sometimes completely collapse or explode, severely inflaming the surrounding skin, and sometimes engulfing neighboring follicles. These lesions are called nodules or cysts
When a follicle breaks along the bottom, total collapse can occur, causing a large, inflamed bump that can be sore to the touch.
Sometimes a severe inflammatory reaction can result in very large pus filled lesions.
Milia are tiny white bumps that occur when normally sloughed skin cells get trapped in small pockets on the surface of the skin. They are common in newborns across the nose and upper cheeks and can also be seen on adult skin. The bumps disappear as the surface is worn away and the dead skin is sloughed. In newborns, the bumps usually disappear within the first few weeks of life. However, for adults milia may persist indefinitely.
