Acne Los Angeles CA

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Acne is the most common skin disorder in the world. Blemishes, bumps, papules, pustules, spots, whiteheads, zits, goobers, the plague, or whatever you call it, almost everyone is liable to get it. In the United States and Canada, acne affects 45 to 55 million individuals at some point in their lives, the vast majority of whom are teenagers. In fact, nearly 80 percent of all young people will face at least an occasional breakout of acne. Acne imposes itself on young men and young women about equally, but young men are likelier to have more severe forms of acne.

The events that take place in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles trigger acne. The exact cause is unknown; however, regardless of a person’s age, acne is a condition of clogged hair follicles and the reaction of sebaceous glands, glands that are attached to hair follicles and produce an oily substance called sebum. Mix in some dead skin cells that become “sticky” and block the pores, add a bit of bacteria, and you have the makings of a breakout.

Doctors believe that these events, and acne itself, result from several related factors, including your hormones (which are responsible for increasing oil production) and heredity (the tendency to develop acne is often inherited from parents and other relatives).

Less commonly, acne can occur as a reaction to certain drugs and chemicals, and other physical factors may exacerbate the problem. I don’t cover all of these issues here, but I’ll put one myth to bed right now that will come as good news.

Pizza, French fries, and other greasy foods don’t cause acne or make it worse. You’re welcome. (I’m a doctor, so I’m compelled to remind you that though these foods won’t affect your acne, they aren’t the building blocks of a healthy diet.) But before you snidely bring this mistaken notion to your mom’s attention, another one of her common statements is right on the money: “Quit playing with your face.” Picking does make zits worse!

In most cases, acne starts between the ages of 10 and 13 and usually lasts for 5 to 10 years. The appearance of teenage acne (acne vulgaris is the technical term that I throw around here and there) is largely the result of your body’s increased production of hormones. The good news is that those embarrassing blemishes usually go away and are often gone for good by the time you reach your early 20s.

However, the not-so-good news is that for some unlucky folks, acne vulgaris can persist into their late 20s or 30s or even beyond. But back to the good news: There are many steps you can take to zap the zits and improve the appearance of your skin, as I explain in the “Creating Your Acne-Treating Program” section, later.

Although acne is typically thought of as a condition of youth, an ever-growing number of women (less often men) get acne for the first time as adults. Acne is no longer just a teenage affliction. There’s definitely been a rise in the number of adult women in their 20s and 30s with acne — even those who never had a pimple before!

Teenage and adult-onset acne have somewhat different characteristics. For one thing, the appearance is different: Adults have fewer blackheads and whiteheads; for another, adult acne tends to be more often located on the lower part of a woman’s face. Also, the appearance of female adult-onset acne is often closely linked to a woman’s menstrual cycle as well as increased sensitivity to hormones such as those brought about by pregnancy, starting or stopping birth control pills, and other hormonal abnormalities.

If you’re really unlucky, you have adult-onset acne and have also brought along some acne vulgaris from your teenage years.

Lights, camera, acne!
Whether you’re a teenager who is noticing acne for the first time or an adult who anticipated permanently waving goodbye to it forever, you’re in good company. The careers of Cameron Diaz, P. Diddy, Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keyes, Mike Myers, and Vanessa Williams have thrived despite their continuing complexion problems with acne.

And think about some of those rugged faces from the silver screen. From the looks of it, Tommy Lee Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Murray, Edward James Olmos, James Woods, and the great British actor and movie star Richard Burton (who married Elizabeth Taylor, considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the world) more than likely had pretty wicked acne when they were teenagers.

Of course, heavy makeup, favorable lighting, medications, and experienced dermatologists have also probably helped them. I won’t be able to supply your own personal makeup artist or a lighting technician to accompany you to school or work, but I do provide tons of recommendations on how to use acne-fighting medications and find a good dermatologist.

You may not aspire to be a movie star. But the names I mention here are just a small number of the people who have achieved success in an area where looks count the most. Countless other people exist in all walks of life who went beyond their acne to become successes in their fields. And so can you.

There are several skin conditions that appear to be acne, but that aren’t acne at all. Rosacea and keratosis pilaris closely resemble acne, as does another acne look-alike, pseudofolliculitis barbae — also known as razor bumps. These conditions, among others, are pretenders that sometimes even fool doctors into thinking they’re actually acne. There are many ways to control these acne impostors.

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For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.

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