ACNE 101 - THE DISEASE.

How acne develops:

Acne is a disorder of the skin’s sebaceous glands that secrete an oily substance, sebum, designed to lubricate the skin. Acne begins when the sebaceous glands enlarge and there’s an obstruction of the polisebaceous canal: the pores become clogged with oil and dead skin cells, and bacteria (P. acnes) develops:
- the sebaceous glands are stimulated by androgens to grow larger and excrete more sebum.
- the polisebaceous canal begins to distend, P. acnes bacteria enters the channels that extend into the sebaceous ducts and forms an impaction or micro-comedo.
- the impaction further dilates the follicle and bacteria continues to develop into the central channels.
- the closed comedo distends to form an open comedo (blackhead), yeasts congregate at the tip and bacteria increases.