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Acne is the most common skin disorder, and while it usually appears in adolescence, adults can get it too. Acne occurs when hair follicles and the sebaceous glands inside the follicles are inflamed. Sebaceous glands make an oily substance called sebum. Too much sebum can clog the follicles and lead to bacterial growth and inflammation.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the four basic mechanisms contributing to acne are hormones, increased sebum production, changes inside hair follicles, and bacteria. Acne usually occurs at age 11 to 14 when the body starts producing male hormones called androgens. Androgens can over-stimulate sebaceous glands and make them produce more sebum.
Dead cells inside hair follicles normally are shed and come out onto the surface of the skin. But in people with acne, the cells are shed faster, stick together, mix with sebum, and clog the follicle. Then bacteria contaminate the skin cell and sebum mixture and grow. When the body's immune system tries to destroy the bacteria, inflammation results.
Accutane helps the function of the follicles return to normal, lowers production of sebum, slows the growth of a bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), and reduces inflammation and the chance for scarring. The drug is unique in its ability to affect all main underlying causes of acne formation. |
