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Acne
The Philosebaceous unit (PSU) of the skin consists of the sebaceous gland and the hair follicle.
The sebaceous gland secretes an oily substance called sebum which protects the hair and skin and prevents them from drying and irritation.
Sebum may collect excessively as a result of poor hygiene, genetic predisposition or accelerated glandular activity, especially during adolescence. Overproduction of sebum is related to the disease called acne or commonly pimples.
Commonly involved areas are the face, neck, chest, shoulders and upper back.
During an acne breakout, the pore of the hair follicle is plugged by a mixture of sebum and cells that line the hair follicle. The trapped sebum allows bacteria to grow in the plugged follicles. This forms the primary acne lesion called a comedo. There are of 2 types of comedos, whiteheads and blackheads.
When the sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed.
A blackhead occurs when the trapped sebum and bacteria partially open to the surface and turn black due to melanin, the skin's pigment.
Treatment includes:
- Keratolytics
- Retinoids
- Antibiotics
- Hormone Therapy
- Spironolactone for women
- Isoretinoin in severe cases
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