Acne vulgaris is the most common form of acne, that usually affects people from puberty and sometimes to adulthood. Acne is an inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin, characterized by seborrhea (scaly red skin), comedones (black heads and whiteheads), papules (pinheads), pustules (pimples) , nodules (large papules) and possibly scarring. The sebaceous gland is a cutaneous gland that secretes sebum, a type of oil, usually into a hair follicle for lubricating hair and skin.
Acne mostly affects the skin with the densest population of sebaceous follicles. Such areas include the face, the upper part of the chest, and the back of one’s body. Severe acne is inflammatory, but acne can also manifest in non- inflammatory forms. The lesions are caused by changes in pilo-sebaceous units- skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland. The changes in several glands and hormones occur as one enters adolescence or puberty. The presence of acne in teenagers can cause a high level of frustration and depression in them. Hormonal imbalance during the puberty stage is responsible for the teen age acne. Boys produce these hormones in high concentrations. This is why teen age boys suffer more severely from acne as compared to girls.
Sometimes acne could be in the form of large nodules. Such large nodules are commonly known as “cysts” and the term ‘nodulocystic’ has been used to describe such severe cases of inflammatory acne. The cysts or boils that accompany cystic acne, often appears on the buttocks, groin, and armpit area, and anywhere else where sweat collects in hair follicles and perspiration ducts. Cystic acne affects deeper skin tissue than does common acne.
Apart from scarring, its main effects are psychological, such as reduced self-esteem, depression and in very extreme cases, suicide. Acne, as mentioned earlier, usually appears during adolescence, when people already tend to be most socially insecure. Often teen acne is considered as just a phase and is not treated. However, proper treatments during the very first stage of acne results in the reduction of acne all through the teenage years. Early and aggressive treatment is therefore advocated by some to lessen the overall long-term impact to individuals.
Thus the most common form of acne is what is known as acne vulgaris, meaning “common acne”. Teenagers are the major victims of this type of acne. Use of the term “acne vulgaris” simply implies the presence of comedones.
