Teenage Acne & Prevention of Adolescent Pimples

Nearly 90% of teenagers experience some form of acne, so if you are going through this stage in your life, keep in mind you are not alone. Acne affects teenagers and adults of all ethnic backgrounds. Pimples not only affect a teenager's physical appearance but also their self-esteem. Everyone at some point has felt embarrassed about a pimple on his or her face; several pimples appearing simultaneously for a period of time can certainly affect a person's social life, school, and/or employment.

Acne or Pimples appear at the time of hormonal changes when young girls and boys mature from childhood to adolescence. This time better known as puberty is when androgen in both males and females cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge production primarily in the face, neck, chest, and back (back acne). Sebum is an oily substance that is produced by the sebaceous gland and emptied into the hair follicles. The oily substance eventually reaches the surface of the skin where it mixes with dead skin cells, bacteria, and white blood cells to form whiteheads, blackheads, nodules, or cysts (teenage acne).

Sebum seems to stimulate the lining of the follicular walls resulting in hyperkeratinization, which is a high rate of cellular activity that allows an overproduction of keratin in the hair follicle. The excess of keratin can lead to retention of matter in the follicle. The mixture of keratin and sebum in teenagers promotes the growth of bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes normally found on skin) in the follicles and can cause inflammation associated with acne. The white blood cells, whose role is to fight off infections and destroy bacteria, on occasion fight a losing battle and add to the mixture. Why the white blood cells lose the battle against the bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes) in otherwise healthy individuals is unclear.