Acne is a serious inflammatory skin condition. It occurs in the so-called pilosebial structures of man. These structures are composed of sebaceous glands and hair follicles.
Term history
The term that defines a disease such as acne in adolescents appeared in ancient Greece. It was first mentioned in the works of Aetius Amidsky, who worked as a doctor for 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, flowering, spearhead”.
Causes of the disease
Experts identify several reasons why acne occurs in adolescents. Treatment is possible, however, requires diligence and careful implementation of all the doctor’s prescriptions.
One of the main causes of acne is heredity. Doctors also release hormonal activity in adolescence, when the girls begin the menstrual cycle, and acne in adolescent boys appear during puberty.
Acne can also occur due to problems with the gastrointestinal tract, stress, overactive sebaceous glands, a large accumulation of dead skin cells, can also be a consequence of the use of anabolics, as well as drugs containing halogens.
The most common version among physicians was that acne in adolescents occurs as a result of exclusively hormonal activity. However, later scientists found that many hormones provoke the disease. In particular, testosterone.
In the post-puberty period, acne is rare in adolescent girls. In this case, this is already a symptom of a serious disease, for example, Cushing's syndrome. At the same time, an excess of carbohydrates in the diet leads to skin defects.
Disease classification
To understand how to help with this problem, it is important to understand what kind of acne is observed in adolescents. Treatment depending on the type of disease will vary.
Doctors distinguish several basic forms. First, comedic. It is characterized by the appearance of closed acne on the chin, forehead and nose wings. In this case, inflammatory processes, as a rule, do not proceed.
Another form is papulopustular. It is manifested by the appearance of purulent formations, both open and closed. In this case, the number of pustules is small.
Acne in adolescent boys is often manifested in a nodular form. Their characteristic location is on the forehead, chin, nose and cheeks. In this case, at least 25-30 pustules appear.
The most problematic is a 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 timely assistance, then this form is fraught with the appearance of scars and scars on the skin.
Clinical picture
Doctors identify the most diverse types of rashes and acne in adolescents. Treatment is possible, in most cases there is not even a trace of the disease on the skin. In addition to the face, inflammation can occur 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 inflammatory processes, due to which purulent formations occur.
Purulent vesicles, which experts call pustules, dry up after opening. Because of this, crusts also form, after which noticeable scars remain.
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 diverse for acne in adolescents. Treatment can be painful, the process can take many years.
Symptoms
Most often, in adolescence, a disease occurs that has the Latin name acne vulgaris. Adolescents 14 years old are particularly susceptible to this form. It occurs due to the excessive secretion of sebum by the glands, which clogs the pores. The accumulation of these elements is due to a violation of the keratinization process. It is also called keratinization, when cells die in the epidermal layer of the skin.
Ultimately, all this leads to exfoliation of skin cells. In this case, sebum is concentrated under the pores blocked by the disease. All these factors form a favorable environment for the propagation of harmful microorganisms.
Acne Bacteria
With acne, pores in adolescents become inflamed due to the growth of bacteria, the most dangerous of which is propionibacterium acnes. It feeds on sebum fatty acids. It got its name for the derivative of one of the metabolites - butyric acid.
The bacterium is very sensitive to antibiotics from the tetracycline group, and fluoroquinolong drugs are also used to combat it. One of the most popular among them is Adifloxacin.
Ultraviolet rays fight the bacteria well. 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 may leave scars on the skin.
Acne treatment
Acne treatment in adolescents requires patience and endurance, it will not be possible to defeat this disease at one point. The main task is to eliminate the root cause - seborrhea.
This is a painful condition of the human skin caused by extremely strong sebum secretion. Such problems arise due to violations of one or several functions of the sebaceous glands of the skin. For example, nervous or endocrine.
Obvious signs of a patient having seborrhea are oily shiny skin, itching, peeling, hair loss and dandruff. It can also manifest as a thickening of the stratum corneum of the epidermis.
To get rid of this disease, use means "Selenium disulfide", "Ketoconazole", "Lithium succinate." Before using drugs, a doctor’s consultation is required.
Antibiotic use
Often, the best remedies for acne in adolescents are antibiotics. They are necessary for severe illness. In the old days, drugs were used whose effectiveness has not yet been proven. This is a transfusion to the patient of his own blood, and estrogens, and rubbing with salicylic acid solution, and ultraviolet radiation, and cryotherapy.
To effectively combat acne, it is necessary to remove comedones - a special type of cysts that appear when horny masses form a blockage of hairy mouths. It can be a desquamated epithelium along with thick lard. Acne is then opened.
Effective Techniques
To combat acne, specialists use disincrustation. This is the process of removing the fatty core of an eel using vacuum or galvanization.
Galvanization in physiotherapy implies a direct impact on the patient's body with a constant and continuous current of small force and tension. The goal is exclusively therapeutic and prophylactic. Galvanization is carried out through contact electrodes placed on the patient’s body; they must be in contact with problem areas of the skin that are most susceptible to the disease.
Acne prevention
In order to prevent the appearance of youthful acne and rash in adolescence, an important preventive moment is the timely treatment of seborrhea.
There are also several key factors that will save you from these diseases. This is a compliance regime. It is necessary to devote enough time to a sound healthy sleep, to lead an active lifestyle. Spend as much time as possible in the fresh air, walk more often, do not forget about physical exercises.
An important element in the prevention of acne is a strict diet. If you want to defeat teenage acne, then categorically exclude fats, especially refractory ones, and oils from your diet.
Many experts advise using zinc-based drugs as a prophylaxis. This substance inhibits the activity of the sebaceous glands, the likelihood of subsequent inflammation is gradually reduced to zero.
How Acne Was Treated Before
For many centuries, mankind has been trying to find an effective and high-quality method of treating acne. People have encountered such a problem throughout their history.
Even in ancient Rome, teenagers used special baths and consumed mineral water to fight acne. In the XIX century, sulfur was actively used to treat acne and acne. In the 1920s, doctors adopted benzoyl peroxide. This is a special organic compound, the use of which, however, did not confirm its effectiveness. In the 1930s, American doctors stuffed their patients with laxatives to combat acne.
And only in the 1950s did antibiotics begin to be used. In the 1960s, tretinoin was actively used. This is a pharmacological preparation containing a large amount of vitamin A. It has not only anti-seborrheic effect, but also helps to cope with tumors, 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 in the basis. There are, for example, very effective and effective acne creams.
Modern drugs
Since the 1980s, doctors have been actively using the medicine "Isotretinoin". This drug is a real salvation for many dermatological diseases. At its core, it is a structural analogue of vitamin A.
With acne, the mechanism of action is as follows. The drug first reduces the thickness of the upper layer of the epidermis. Having barely hit the skin, it begins to weakly affect the cells of the stratum corneum. Because of this, they peel off and peel off. A peeling effect occurs. Thus, the thickness of the stratum corneum of the epidermis is minimized. This is useful, because it consists mainly of already dead cells. This process makes the pores of the skin open, which prevents the formation of blackheads or fatty plugs.
Further, the drug uses its comedonolytic properties. It dissolves fatty plugs, due to which the skin pores are constantly clogged. The skin is freed from acne. In addition, it is an effective prevention of acne in adolescence.
Isotretinoin also minimizes the activity of the sebaceous glands. But this is one of the main factors that cause acne, acne and acne. The increased activity of the sebaceous glands ultimately leads to the fact that the ducts open, and an increase in the production of fat secretion provokes clogging of the pores.
"Isotretinoin" can most effectively normalize the function of the sebaceous glands, reduce their secretion.
In the 1990s, laser systems were actively used in clinics to combat acne.
Anti Acne
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 can be local bactericidal agents. They are used for mild forms. However, the frequent use of such funds leads to excessive dry skin, irritation and redness.
Topically applied local antibiotics, such as Erythromycin, as well as tetracycline antibiotics.
For oral administration, antibiotics such as Doxycycline, Limecycline are suitable, sometimes dermatologists prescribe Trimethoprim.
In recent years, hormone therapy has been actively used. It is especially effective for women. Drugs must be taken in combination. For example, estrogen along with a progestogen.
The effectiveness of many retinoids, especially those found in gels and ointments, has been proven. For example, it is Effezel, Klenzit, Isotrexin.
Retinoids are also used orally. The need for this occurs with severe forms of acne. In this case, dermatologists prescribe "Isotretinoin" to the patient.
Such a popular method as phototherapy has established 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 mild forms of the disease) and zinc to treat acne.