The Causes of

AC N E
!
That’s pimples, folks

Photo taken from Flickr

Acne is a common skin condition that

mainly appears during your teenage

years, when hormone levels are changing

Illustration from Techno Quest Vol.32 (1989)

 Acne is caused by:
 family/genetic history
 oily cosmetics
 stress
 diet
 hot weather
 exposure to some chemicals
 Vitamin A and Vitamin E deficiency
 poor hygiene
 use of anabolic steroids
 puberty and menstrual cycles
Other Causes…
 What is a follicle?
 Our skin is covered with very small holes, called
follicles

 Each follicle has a fine hair growing out of it

 The follicle produces a special moisturiser for the

skin, called sebum, that flows out along the hair
Diagram of a hair follicle

Diagram from Wikipedia

 What goes wrong?
 Sometimes the follicle gets filled with dried
out oil and dead skin

 Sebum builds up

 Blackheads form
This is what blackheads look like

Photo taken from Wikipedia

So how do blackheads turn
into acne?
 trapped sebum (blackhead)

infected with bacteria

red pus-filled spots of acne erupt

Photo taken from Wikipedia
Acne usually
occurs on the
face,
arms,
chest,
neck
and back

Photos taken from Wikipedia

 The Shameful Condition

Many people tease those with acne

Look at Katie!
Hey, there’s She’s never going
Pizza-face! to get a boyfriend.
That is SO
revolting: You
must be so
embarrassed
Photo from Clipart
Photo from Clipart
What would you say/do to someone with
acne?

Would you be their friend?

Why/why not?
 People with acne can:
 have very low self esteem
 feel unattractive
 be bullied by their peers
 become depressed
 consider suicide
How would YOU help make their world
more colourful?

Photo from Clipart

 Sometimes acne can be
cleared by regular
washing and special acne
treatments.

Images from Clipart

 Most treatments aim to:
 Help clear dead skin

 Help clear blackheads

 This allows sebum to move freely again

 The spots heal

Some treatments include:

Pills

Creams

Dermatologists & GPs

Skin Centres
Images from Clipart
And here’s some more…
 Lotions
Skin Centres
Heat Antibiotics
Dermabrasion Benzoyl Peroxide

Hormonal Treatments
Over-the-counter pills
Detoxification
Retinoids
Erythromycin
Celebrity Endorsements
FREE TRIAL! Surgical
Lancing Isotretinoin
Laser
Triclosan treatment
Zinc Salicylic
Acid Sulphur
Phototherapy
Organic Clearasil
creams
Creams Prescription
Proactiv
Tetracyclines Medication
But sometimes

none

of these

work.
Image from Clipart
Sometimes it’s just a matter of time.

Photo from Clipart

 Google the word ‘acne’ and
see how many treatments
come up
 Why do you think there are so many?

 Can you think of something else where

there are many alternative products?

 Why might this be so?

 Summary
 There are many causes for acne, including family
history and diet

 Our skin has tiny holes in it, that are called

follicles

 The follicles produce sebum, to help moisturise

the skin

 Acne is caused by sebum in the hair follicle

becoming infected
 Summary Continued
 Acne generally occurs in teenagers

 People with acne can have low self-esteem, depression

and even suicidal thoughts

 Consider how they must feel and how YOU would feel

 Most treatments work by helping shed dead skin and

clearing blackheads

 Sometimes time is the only cure

The End