There are many hair follicles on our skin. The sebaceous
glands (oil glands) exist near the surface of the skin and
open into the hair follicles. The oil, or sebum, which they
produce constantly, enters the follicle. This helps in protecting
the skin from drying out.
Overproduction of sebum is a major factor in the development
of acne. Before covering the various causes of acne, here is
information about the production, role and regulation of sebum.
Sebum
Sebum, an oily and complex mixture of lipids (a group of fats
and similar compounds including waxes, oils, sterols, triglycerides,
phosphatides and phospholipids), is produced by the sebaceous
glands.
Sebaceous glands exist over almost all of the body, but
especially on the forehead, chin and back. Cells in these
glands disintegrate in about a week and produce sebum.
The rate of production depends on age and gender:
1 Adult females produce less sebum than adult males
2 Production of sebum increases almost five times in boys
with the onset of puberty
3 Sebum production declines significantly with age
4 Production of sebum also falls steeply in women after menopause
Causes of High Levels of Androgens in Women
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Statistics reveal that about half of the women who suffer from
acne have a hormonal imbalance.
Some causes of high levels of male sex hormones in women are:
1 Disease of the Pituitary Gland
2 Disease of the Adrenal Gland
3 Disease of the ovaries
4 Obesity
Any of the conditions listed above can stimulate the sebaceous
glands and lead to seborrhea .
While diagnosing acne, doctors must check for signs of any
of these disorders as the underlying cause of the acne and
even perform a laboratory analysis to rule them out.
If any of the above conditions is the cause of acne, it should
be tackled first.
In the next tips, I will share with you a topic about Acne
vulgaris, the most commonly-occuring type of acne in
adolescents.
In the next issue, I will share with you some information
about acne vulgaris.
