5 products

Collection: Acne

Acne Causes and Symptoms

Acne is an inflammatory skin disease that affects the tiny pores that cover the face, arms, back, and chest and the oil glands attached to them.

Acne is an abnormal response in the skin to normal levels of the male hormone, testosterone. Both men and women have testosterone circulating in the blood, but in the adult acne sufferer, this hormone has a profound effect on the skin. Acne can also leave scars, which can be permanent and are easier to prevent than to treat.

This skin disease attacks two structures:

1) The pore through which the hairs emerge from the skin - where dead skin cells become more "sticky" and partially block the pore, and

2) The oil or sebaceous gland, produces more oil and thus a generally oily complexion. Both conditions result in inflammation in the form of clogged pores, blackheads, and pimples. If the inflammation is deep and severe, or if it is manipulated or squeezed, the pus can burst deep into the skin rather than onto the surface. This deep-rooted inflammation and infection results in acne scarring and cyst formation.

How Does the Immune System fight Acne?

The immune system is a body-wide network of cells and organs that has evolved to defend the body against attacks by foreign entities such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.