Acne is a nightmare for many teens. An unpublished survey gives the full measure of discomfort. More than half are ill at ease and more than one third are hampered in their love life.Psychological pain that can no longer ignore.

What is the perception of acne by teens? To find out, a telephone survey conducted on the original line wire Health Kids can have the point of view of young acne but also those who are spared. The vast majority of callers have responded to the questionnaire without problems. In total, over 1,500 questionnaires completed by the Expert Group Acne were analyzed.

1. Young people interested in their treatment

Although it is not a general population survey, the number of teenagers affected by acne and the severity is quite similar to the proportion of youth attending school 11-18 years. The survey stresses that girls happening more often than boys and older more often than younger ones.

More generally, acne can be treated using a prescription, in the case of 33% of young people with mild acne, 44% for moderate acne and 59% for severe acne. In most cases, the teenager who takes the initiative of the consultation, and when this is not the case, the intervention of his mother and friends or school nurses finally taking some space.

In this survey, young people appear to be particularly attentive to their care, not less than 80% would join and half do not find it annoying. This very good adherence to treatment could be explained by a difference of appreciation for “good adherence” between doctor and patient or the fact that the interviewee wants to reflect a positive image of itself.

The most embarrassed are those whose acne is most severe. But disability is not only related to treatment …

2. A living comparable to other chronic diseases

We suspected, acne disturbs the lives of young people. Half of young people consider this skin problem as well as important or very important. The percentage varies depending on the severity of involvement. In total, 48% said they were hampered in their daily lives, 54% feel bad about themselves 56% feel sad and anxious and 38% live an impact on their sex life, at the first stirrings.

According to the Expert Group Acne, the daily impact is not proportional to the severity of the disease. His character leads a visible alteration of the image that the teen has himself to a period of great vulnerability. Result, the psychological impact of acne is similar to that described by young people with chronic diseases more serious, diabetes, cancer or epilepsy.

Few things can ruin adolescence as well as acne. The most superficial and benign, it can take many forms deep serious need of intensive treatment and prolonged.

Acne is caused by inflammation of the sebaceous glands of the skin. This is the problem most common skin regardless of age. It affects about 85% of adolescents. In 30% of cases, acne persists into adulthood. Although there is no magic bullet against acne, many treatments are capable of reversing the steps responsible for this problem.

1. The main lesions

Superficial lesions
They start with the black dot or comedo, which corresponds to the obstruction of a small channel draining the oil. This sebum is secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin at the time of hormonal changes of puberty. The black dot blushed, topped by a white tip.

Deep lesions
Several acne join to form real pustules. Elsewhere, we see the formation of cysts and abscesses.

Areas affected are the face, shoulders, back and sometimes chest.

What you do not try to

• Press the buttons between the fingers or scratching. Inflammatory lesions and infection may spread in the neighborhood;
• Attacking daily skin with alcoholic solutions or sulfur. These treatments are certainly effective at the time, but this is just to use extra time to time;
• Use at every turn the puller blackheads;
• Apply locally cortisone. It is useless, even dangerous;
• Acne worse by cosmetics, including creams fat. Proscribe also abrasive soaps.

Treat your skin first in the sparing

• Degrease the skin with sweet almond oil, camphor moderately solutions, sprays antiseptic;
• Do you wash with mild soap;
• Use sulfur with caution and from time to time;
• Take regular vitamins A, H, B6;
• You can sunbathe, but reasonable;
• For girls, treat your skin during menstruation;
• The acne can affect adolescents who suffer. If pushed is important, know firstly that DMARDs exist and secondly it may be helpful to suggest to the adolescent counseling;
• The diet has no effect on acne, no more than sex.

2. The treatment must be closely followed

Small pustules on local interventions, sessions of ultra-violet, the antibiotics tetracycline family are commonly prescribed.

Are counter to the topical benzoyl peroxide 5%, and associations sulfur-resorcinol.

3. The problem of isotretinoin

This modern and effective medication acne resistant, however, is totally forbidden to pregnant women. Contraception is required one month before, during treatment and one month after stopping it. Treatment can be long and it tends to dry out the mucous membranes.

No more ideas on the buttons! Scientists finally provide evidence that diet can promote acne.But it is not chocolate, sweets or meats that are to blame, but too refined grain products.Should we stop eating bread, rice and other cookies?

In Western societies, acne for 79-95% of adolescents. Approximately 60% of children aged 12 and 95% of adolescents age 18 suffer from these buttons awkward. All studies conducted so far exonerate the diet. But a culprit seems to arise from the plate.

1. No black spots among Papuans!

White bread, rice cakes out of our plates! U.S. scientists accuse these and other foods cause acne. Their assumption is based on the observation of different populations: in some remote tribes in Papua New Guinea or South America, the teenagers do not virtually acne. This lack of buttons can not be explained solely by genetic characteristics: environmental factors are also involved. The key: diet, virgin of all industrially processed products! Loren Cordain, author of the study also notes that the Inuit of Alaska are developing acne since they only eat “the West”.

2. This is where the bacteria attack

But what connection can there be between buttons and grain products? According to the hypothesis of Loren Cordain, everything would be linked to insulin, the hormone essential for the absorption of carbohydrates. White bread, white rice, biscuits and other refined grains are rapidly digested and cause insulin secretion very important. But this hormone also increases the release of androgens. This causes an overproduction of sebum in the pores of the skin and promotes infection with the bacteria responsible for acne. Thus, it consumes more rapidly digestible carbohydrates, the insulin is secreted and indirectly increases acne.

3. And debate

Never had any link between food and acne had been found before, despite suspicions about chocolate or meats. Dermatologists therefore simply continued to deny that probability.

But according to Cordain’s work, a healthier diet would prevent the buttons to which adolescents are particularly susceptible. Some women prone to acne by their hormonal status, have already seen improvement in their condition following the removal of food culprits. It remains to confirm these results by further studies on large population samples. And to ensure that other factors are not a better way to prevent acne: sun exposure, physical activity …

In the meantime, why not encourage your contributions in whole grains, unrefined and high in fiber …

Widespread, acne can cause unsightly by its nature a certain anxiety. But unlike what the consequences of our ideas on black skin? U.S. scientists now believe that stress aggravates the severity of the disease.

“Evil in his skin”, “the nerves on edge” … expressions mixing psyche and skin are legion. Just as if linguists had already highlighted these strange links that scientists discover little by little.

1. Stress on edge

Very common skin problem, acne affects about 85% of the population during life. Raging mainly during adolescence, this disease affects the hair follicle. Located at the base of the hair, sebaceous glands are responsible for the production of sebum. In normal times, this fat prevents drying of the skin. But during puberty, this natural mechanism of hydration is experiencing some failures. Sebum is produced in large quantities, the skin becomes oily, the pores become clogged and a bacterial growth occurs in the follicle. This acne pimples (which goes from black spot or blackhead in microcyst white).

Due to its unsightly nature, the acne can have significant psychological impact. Speaking at the age of the construction of adult identity, it can cause significant stress in adolescents. But conversely, the stress it can influence the severity of this skin disease? Some clinical observations suggest, but few studies had previously been able to prove.

2. Exams are they right for your skin?

Studies on the effects of stress are growing: the immune system, the sensation of pain, scarring, recovery time after surgery and even the accumulation of grease or back pain.Regarding skin problems, major studies include atopic dermatitis or psoriasis.

Yet doctors and patients agree links between the psyche and acne. Among 215 medical students, 67% believed that stress played a role in the exacerbation of acne. And nearly three quarters of patients and their relatives (74%) also feel anxiety as a contributing factor to their illness. To get to the bottom, U.S. researchers have studied students with the intention of dismantling what they believed to be only a myth.

Twenty-two students have been recruited and 19 completed the study (7 men and 12 women).The researchers measured stress and the severity of their acne outside and during exam periods. To be blameless, the trio of scientists used two scales to assess the severity of stress and acne completely validated. By adjusting their results based on other parameters (duration and sleep quality, number and quality of meals, etc..), A link between perceived stress and severity of acne was highlighted. The students are more stressed were also those with more marked worsening of their disease. A relationship with the lower quality food (often widespread during periods of review) has also been noted.

2. Better deal at the approach of stress

This study does not relate the behavior of students regarding their facial cleanliness, the influence of menstrual cycles or scratching their buttons. However, no student has reported a worsening of his appearance modeled on that pace.

In addition, investigators were able, by the authors to differentiate the aggravation of the severity of acne simple tampering. But acne is it the consequence or the cause of stress? For authors, the answer is no doubt that students are unconcerned with their appearance during examinations, so it’s stress that causes acne and not the reverse.

Such results can they have a practical interest in the treatment of this disease? Again, the authors answer in the affirmative saying that “behavioral approaches may be viable options for patients, as therapeutic approaches could be adjusted to approach the expected periods of stress.

Blackheads, whiteheads … As a teenager, acne often prevents to see life in pink. But what are the causes of this skin disease that affects nearly 80% of young people at the first amorous? A review of the three main culprits.

Acne is a disease affecting the hair follicle at the root of our hair. At its base are the sebaceous glands responsible for production of sebum, preventing the fat dries out the skin. But during puberty, this well-oiled mechanism jammed!

1. Acne in three stages

The emergence of a button at the follicle is due to a combination of three events:

• Excessive secretion of sebum in the follicle;
• Obstruction of the follicle (for reasons still unknown);
• Bacterial growth within the follicle.

During puberty, the production of male sex hormones (androgens) leads to an excess of sebum in sebaceous glands. The excess sebum flow to the surface of the skin becomes more oily. But the canal can be encumbered and the pore mouth, is the appearance of black spot or blackhead or microcyst white.

Subsequently, the development of inflammation within the follicles and infection of them by a bacterium, Propionibacterium acnes, causes buttons (papules, pustules and nodules).

2. Stress and Heredity

Stress is accused of all evils, and it is sometimes accused of being responsible for the appearance of acne. We also know that stress can affect hormone levels. It could therefore have an influence on the development of this skin disease. But according to the last review dated, its role remains to this day the subject of controversy and is a significant lack of validated scientific studies on the subject.

Moreover, many studies2 note a significant number of patients of both sexes in the same family. Although genetic susceptibility has been suspected, no scientific proof has been made to date.