Acne is a serious inflammatory skin disease. It occurs in the so-called human pilosebaceous structures. These structures are made up of sebaceous glands and hair follicles.
History of the term
The term that defines such a disease as acne in adolescents appeared in ancient Greece. It was first mentioned in the writings of Aetius of Amides, who worked as a physician to the Byzantine emperor Justinian I in the 6th century AD.
The very concept of "acne" is a derivative of the ancient Greek concept, literally meaning "height, flourishing, point".
Causes of disease
Specialists identify several reasons why acne occurs in teenagers. Treatment is possible, but requires diligence and careful implementation of all doctor's prescriptions.
One of the main causes of acne is heredity. Doctors also release hormonal activity during adolescence, when girls begin their menstrual cycle, and acne in teenage boys appears during puberty.
Acne can also occur due to problems with the gastrointestinal tract, stress, overactive sebaceous glands, large accumulationdead skin cells, can also be a consequence of the use of anabolics, as well as drugs containing halogens.
The most common version among doctors was that acne in teenagers occurs due to exclusively hormonal activity. However, later scientists found that many hormones provoke the disease. Specifically testosterone.
In the post-pubertal period, acne in teenage girls is rare. In this case, it is already a symptom of a serious illness, such as Cushing's syndrome. At the same time, an excess of carbohydrates in the diet leads to skin defects.
Disease classification
To figure out how to help with this problem, it is important to understand what kind of acne is observed in adolescents. Treatment will vary depending on the type of disease.
Doctors distinguish several basic forms. First, comedonal. It is characterized by the appearance of closed pimples on the chin, forehead and wings of the nose. At the same time, inflammatory processes, as a rule, do not proceed.
Another form is papulo-pustular. It is manifested by the appearance of purulent formations, both open and closed. At the same time, the number of pustules is small.
Acne in adolescent boys often manifests itself in a nodular form. Their characteristic location is on the forehead, chin, nose and cheeks. At the same time, at least 25-30 pustules appear.
The most problematic is the severe form. At the same time, teenage acne merges with pustules, deep and painful nodes appear, large areas of the skin become inflamed. If you do not provide timelyhelp, then this form is fraught with the appearance of scars and scars on the skin.
Clinical picture
Doctors identify a variety of types of rashes and acne in adolescents. Treatment is possible; in most cases, even traces of the disease do not remain on the skin. In addition to the face, inflammation can appear on the chest, especially in the upper part, and on the back. After all, it is in these areas that the largest sebaceous glands are located. Acne also provokes inflammation, which causes purulent formations.
Purulent vesicles, which experts call pustules, dry up after opening. This also causes scabs that leave visible scars.
Acne scars come in several forms. The most dangerous and unpleasant are deep, with the formation of characteristic skin acid.
Angular scars most often appear on the temples and cheeks. They are very similar to the effects of chickenpox. Keloid scars may also occur.
In general, the clinical picture is varied for adolescent acne. Treatment can be painful and can take years.
Symptoms
Most often in adolescence, a disease occurs that has the Latin name acne vulgaris. Adolescents 14 years old are especially prone to this form. It occurs due to excessive secretion of sebum by the glands, which clogs the pores. The accumulation of these elements occurs due to a violation of the keratinization process. It is also called keratinization, when cells die in the epidermal layer of the skin.
BUltimately, all this leads to exfoliation of skin cells. At the same time, sebum is concentrated under the pores blocked by the disease. All these factors form a favorable environment for the reproduction of harmful microorganisms.
Acne causing bacteria
In acne, the pores in teenagers become inflamed due to the multiplication of bacteria, the most dangerous of which is propionibacterium acnes. It feeds on sebum fatty acids. It got its name for a derivative of one of the metabolites - butyric acid.
The bacterium is very sensitive to antibiotics from the tetracycline group, and fluoroquinolone preparations are also used to combat it. One of the most popular among them is Adifloxacin.
UV rays fight well with bacteria. Also, some doctors recommend the use of aminolevulinic acid. However, it often causes side effects in patients.
Most often this bacterium affects the face and upper neck, although there are exceptions. Among the rare manifestations that this bacterium can cause is the formation of purulent and sebaceous cysts. They can leave scars on the skin.
Acne treatment
The treatment of acne in adolescents requires patience and endurance, it will not be possible to defeat this disease overnight. The main task is to eliminate the root cause - seborrhea.
This is a painful condition of human skin caused by extremely strong sebum secretion. Such problems arise due to violations of one or bothseveral functions of the sebaceous glands of the skin. For example, nervous or endocrine.
Obvious signs of a patient with seborrhea - oily shiny skin, itching, peeling, hair loss and dandruff. It can also appear as a thickening of the stratum corneum of the epidermis.
To get rid of this disease, use the funds "Selenium Disulfide", "Ketoconazole", "Lithium Succinate". Before using drugs, a doctor's consultation is required.
Use of antibiotics
Antibiotics are often the best treatment for teen acne. They are necessary in severe cases of the disease. In the past, they used tools whose effectiveness has not been proven to date. This is a transfusion of the patient's own blood, and estrogen, and rubbing with a solution of salicylic acid, and ultraviolet irradiation, and cryotherapy.
For an effective fight against acne, it is necessary to remove comedones - a special type of cysts that appear when a blockage of the hairy mouths is formed by horny masses. This may be a desquamated epithelium along with thick fat. Acne is then opened.
Effective Methods
To combat acne, experts use deincrustation. This is the process of removing the blackhead fat core using vacuum or galvanization.
Galvanization in physiotherapy implies a direct effect on the patient's body with a constant and continuous current of small strength and voltage. The purpose is exclusively therapeutic and prophylactic. Galvanization is carried out through electrodes placed on the patient's body, they must come into contact with problem areas of the skin that are most susceptible to disease.
Acne Prevention
In order to prevent the appearance of juvenile acne and rashes in adolescence, an important preventive point is the timely treatment of seborrhea.
There are also several other key factors that will save you from such diseases. This is adherence to the regime. It is necessary to devote enough time to sound he althy sleep, lead an active lifestyle. Spend as much time as possible outdoors, walk more often, do not forget about physical exercises.
An important element of acne prevention is following a strict diet. If you want to defeat teenage acne, then categorically exclude fats, especially refractory fats, and oils from your diet.
Many experts advise using zinc-based preparations as a preventive measure. This substance inhibits the activity of the sebaceous glands, the likelihood of subsequent inflammation is gradually reduced to zero.
How acne was treated before
Mankind has been trying for many centuries to find an effective and high-quality method of acne treatment. This is a problem people have faced throughout history.
Even in ancient Rome, teenagers used special baths and mineral water to fight acne. In the 19th century, sulfur was actively used to treat acne and pimples. In the 1920s, doctors adopted benzoyl peroxide. This special organiccompound, the use of which, however, did not confirm its effectiveness. In the 1930s, American doctors fed their patients laxatives to fight acne.
And only since the 1950s have antibiotics been used. In the 1960s, tretinoin began to be actively used. This is a pharmacological preparation containing a large amount of vitamin A. It has not only an anti-seborrheic effect, but also helps to cope with tumors and local inflammation. It is often used to reduce wrinkles. The proper effect is achieved by enhancing the regenerative function of cells and their subsequent renewal.
On the market today you can find many different drugs containing tretinoin. There are, for example, very effective and effective acne creams.
Modern drugs
Since the 1980s, doctors have been actively using the drug "Isotretinoin". This drug is a real salvation for many dermatological diseases. At its core, it is a structural analogue of vitamin A.
In acne, the mechanism of action is as follows. The drug first reduces the thickness of the upper layer of the epidermis. As soon as it hits the skin, it begins to weakly affect the cells of the stratum corneum. Because of this, they peel and peel off. There is a peeling effect. Thus, the thickness of the stratum corneum of the epidermis is maximally reduced. This is useful, because it consists mainly of already dead cells. This process opens the pores of the skin, which prevents the formation of blackheads or oil plugs.
Next druguses its comedonolytic properties. It dissolves fatty plugs, due to which the skin pores are constantly in a clogged state. The skin is freed from acne. In addition, it is an effective prevention of acne in adolescence.
Also "Isotretinoin" minimizes the activity of the sebaceous glands. But this is one of the main factors that cause blackheads, pimples and acne. The increased activity of the sebaceous glands eventually leads to the fact that the ducts open, and the increase in the production of fatty secretion provokes blockage of the pores.
"Isotretinoin" can most effectively normalize the function of the sebaceous glands, reduce their secretion.
In the 1990s, lasers began to be used extensively in acne clinics.
Acne drugs
Today, on the shelves of pharmacies, you can find a large number of drugs, with varying degrees of success, allowing you to fight acne.
It could be a local bactericide. They are used for mild cases. However, frequent use of such products leads to excessive dryness of the skin, irritation and redness.
Topical antibiotics such as Erythromycin and tetracycline antibiotics are used topically.
For oral use, antibiotics such as Doxycycline, Lymecycline are suitable, sometimes dermatologists prescribe Trimethoprim.
In recent years, hormone therapy has been actively used. It is especially effective for women. Drugs neededtake in combination. For example, estrogen along with progestogen.
Many retinoids, especially those found in gels and ointments, have been proven effective. For example, these are Effezel, Klenzit, Isotrexin.
Retinoids are also used orally. The need for this arises in severe forms of acne. In this case, dermatologists prescribe Isotretinoin to the patient.
Such a popular method as phototherapy has proven itself well. For treatment, special lamps or a laser are used, with the help of which the effect of local sterilization of foci of inflammation is achieved.
In rare cases, dermatologists also use azelaic acid (usually for milder acne) and zinc to treat acne.
