Sebaceous Glands and Acne

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Author: Valerie DeVette

Article source: http://www.articledeshboard.com/. Used with author's permission.

The key factor in acne during adolescence is hormonal, for at this stage androgens interact with receptors on the sebaceous glands and cause stimulation of the sebaceous gland to hypertrophy and hence promote more sebaceous secretion of lipids and free fatty acids which distend the follicular duct. More specifically, there is evidence for increased peripheral metabolic transformation of the androgen testosterone to dihydrotestosterone at the level of the skin in people suffering from acne. It is also hypothesized that receptors on the sebaceous gland for the active androgen dihydrotestosterone can show several degrees of sensitivity, and that an elevated sensitivity reaction may be partially or entirely genetically predetermined.
Basic lesion in acne is the comedone
The basic lesion in acne is the comedo. On the exposure to oxygen the comedone turns dark and makes what you know as a blackhead. The comedo is created by retention of layers of devitalized skin called keratin in the wall of the follicles. In addition to hyperkeratosis (which is thickening or retained layers of keratin), there is an accumulation of sebum. The mixture of the keratin and the sebum makes a blocking of the opening of the follicular duct, and papules are created by inflammation around the comedones. Depending upon the degree of inflammation, scars, granulomatous reactions, nodules, pustules, cysts, and keloids may develop.
Inflammatory Response
Aerial contamination and other harmful materials further aggravate the inflammatory reaction. As bacteria start to proliferate inside the blocked pore your defensive system responds by releasing granulocytes and macrophages, which are groups of white blood cells that destroy the bacteria. The inflammation process is needed to eliminate the continuing effects of excess bacteria and signal the body to heal the damage to tissues. Often times the defensive response system can't stop the reproduction of acne bacteria due to lack of white blood cells or an impaired system.
Activity of the Sebaceous Gland
When a comedone is clogging the outlet of the sebum canals, the sebaceous glands continue to form sebum, which gathers in the sebum duct increasing the comedone in size. The expansion in size results in pressure and leads to a further intense inflammation reaction in the nearby skin and produces swelling, redness, discomfort, and a mass (pimple, redhead, acne papule). Usually your immune reaction system cannot influence on the acne papule thus furthering the stage of growth and infection.
Growth of Acne Bacteria
The mentioned conditions promote the growth of bacteria and result in infection inside the duct, the sebaceous gland, and nearby tissue. The commencement of the infection makes more inflammatory changes, therefore starting a cycle of accentuated blockage of the outflow of sebum which produces even more pressure, inflammation, and progressing infection causing cysts and pustules to appear. The effect on skin tissues caused by such infections is highly harmful and the healing process commonly results in a scar.

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