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Skin disorders are usually not life threatening but cause considerable amount of discomfort and disability. Patients suffering from skin diseases not only have problems with their skin, it actually effects them emotionally too. So along with treating the disease, a doctor also needs to understand such patients. The disability here is not only physical, but also emotional and socioeconomic.

Acne is one of the commonest skin diseases which occur mostly in the late teenage years. It is more common in females and they can have it even till they are in their late thirties. In this disease, the hair follicles in the skin get obstructed which then leads to inflammation and finally destruction of the tissue.

Acne has been directly associated with levels of sebum. It is because of the increased sebum excretion in the teenagers that acne is so common in them. A bacterium named ‘Propionibacterium acnes’ has also been associated with this skin disorder. The face is affected the most, particularly skin of the nose, cheeks, forehead, lower jaw and chin. It is also frequently seen on the back of the neck, shoulders, the back and front of the chest. Buttocks and thighs are usually not affected but patients with severe acne can have lesions on these areas also.

Hot and humid conditions can worsen acne. The first thing which one gets with this disorder is that their skin starts looking greasy and oily. One can probably notice a number of blackheads on the affected areas. They are most common on the side of the nose. The face gets covered with small or big eruptions (papules) which look red and inflamed. They can also get quite painful especially when they get filled with pus. When they contain pus the eruptions are called as pustules and if they persist for a very long time, they are known as nodules. One gets really deep scars after these lesions heal and the scars can even remain their for a life time!

The good thing about this disorder is that it is self limiting. It can not be present all the time. However there are few who will have persistent acne with the disease being constantly present in an acute condition throughout the year. Most people do not get acne after the age of 25 years but then nothing is fixed or constant in medicine and acne is no exception!

One can also develop acne due to consumption of certain drugs like corticosteroids, anti-convulsants and oral contraceptive pills. But this form of acne is usually quite different from the regular variety and can be easily identified clinically. Workers who work at places where lubricating oils are used can develop what is known as ‘oil acne’. Exposures to a chemical ‘chloracne’ can also lead to this disorder. Women who suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome are more likely to have severe acne.

The treatment of acne is a very wide topic and I shall be discussing about it in detail in another article. Till then keep your skin clean and healthy!