FAQ on Acne- Everything You Need to Know About Acne

 Define  acne.

Acne could be defined as  an inflammatory,  mostly a chronic, disease of the sebaceous glands, in the form of   papules, tubercles, or pustules, or even a mixture of these lesions, and  usually appeared on the face.

At what age does acne usually occur?

Between the ages of fifteen and thirty, at which time the glandular

structures are naturally more or less active.

Describe thesymptoms of acne  

Irregularly scattered over the face, and in some cases also over the neck, shoulders and upper part of the trunk, are to be seen several,fifty or more, pin-head- to pea-sized papules, tubercles or pustules;commonly the eruption is of a mixed type (_acne vulgaris_), the severalkinds of lesions in all stages of evolution and subsidence presenting inthe single case. Interspersed may generally be seen blackheads, or

comedones. The lesions may be sluggish in character, or they may be

markedly inflammatory, with hard and indurated bases. In the course of

several days or weeks, the papules and tubercles tend gradually to

disappear by absorption; or, and as commonly the case, they become

pustular, discharge their contents, or dry and slowly or rapidly

disappear, with or without leaving a permanent trace, new lesions

arising, here and there, to take their place. In exceptional instances

the eruption is limited to the back, and in these cases the eruption is

usually extensive and persistent, and not infrequently leaves scars.

What do you understand by acne punctata, acne papulosa, acne pustulosa,

acne indurata, acne atrophica, acne hypertrophica, and acne

cachecticorum?

These several terms indicate that the lesions present are, for the most

part, of one particular character or variety.

Describe the lesions giving rise to the names of these various types

Blocking up of the outlet of the sebaceous gland (comedo), which is

usually the beginning of an acne lesion, may cause a moderate degree of

hyperæmia and inflammation, and a slight elevation, with a central

yellowish or blackish point results--the lesion of _acne punctata_; if

the inflammation is of a higher grade or progresses, the elevation is

reddened and more prominent--_acne papulosa_; if the inflammatory action

continues, the interior or central portion of the papule suppurates and

a pustule results--_acne pustulosa_; the pustule, in some cases, may

have a markedly inflammatory and hard base--_acne indurata_; and not

infrequently the lesions in disappearing may leave a pit-like atrophy or

depression_acne atrophica_; or, on the contrary, connective-tissue new

growth may follow their disappearance-_acne hypertrophica_; and, in

strumous or cachectic individuals, the lesions may be more or less

furuncular in type, often of the nature of dermic abscesses, usually of

a cold or sluggish character, and of more general distribution--_acne cachecticorum_.