The Skin
The body’s largest organ is the skin. It is a filter from the inside as well as from the outside. It also serves to regulate and maintain our body temperature.
What causes Acne?
Normally, the cells that line the hair follicle are shed (approximately every 28 days) as new cells take their place. The dead cells combine with the oil or sebum and try to find their way to the skin’s surface where they will be washed away. Some follicles produce cells that stick tightly together so they never make it to the surface. These cells accumulate, mix with more oil and bacteria and then form a plug. You can’t see this because it’s all happening underneath the surface, but acne is starting to form. As more oil is produced, the follicle swells and becomes inflamed.
Treatment
The treatment is designed for oily, acne and impure problem skin. The aim of the treatment is to clear the skin and refine its texture. The treatments are recommended every 2 to 3 weeks.
Definitions
Sebum- the oil that is produced by your sebaceous glands. Sweat glands and oil glands are different. Micro comeo- build-up of sebum and other substance from your skin, i.e. cells, pigment and bacteria. This is under your skin but the acne has begun.
Comedone- blackhead, a plug of sebaceous matter obstructing the sebaceous duct.
Open comedo/Blackhead- visible enlarged pores filled with a plug of dead skin cells and oils. The dark colour is a combination of cells and oxidised oil.
Closed comedo/Whitehead – compacted layers of dead skin cells and oil. Looks like a small white bump under the surface.
Acne- an eruption of inflamed pimples on the face. Pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, zits, whatever acne is a condition that affects almost all teenagers and 20% of the adults.
A normal follicle looks like this:
Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a “microcomedone”. The picture below is a “microcomedone”
The result of a microcomedone can be one of two scenarios. A blackhead or a whitehead: When the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed
A blackhead occurs when the trapped sebum and bacteria open to the surface and turn black due to melanin, the skin's pigment. Blackheads can last for a long time because the contents very slowly drain to the surface.
Remember; skin changes as you change, internally and externally and according to environment and climate. Awareness and good maintenance of your skin is a balance and the key to healthy and beautiful skin. |
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FAQ's