Acne vulgaris, simply known asacne, is a progressive skin disease in which the sebaceous glands of hair follicles are clogged with oil from the skin (sebum) and dead skin cells. It is diagnosed with the appearance of characteristic whiteheads, seborrhea (increased oil-sebum secretion), blackheads, pimples, oily skin, and occasional scarring of the skin on the cheek, forehead, chin, and back. These are the places on the body with the densest population of sebaceous follicles.
Acne affects almost 80 percent of teenagers and young adults. The onset of acne depends to some extent on testosterone and androgens which begin to circulate in the body at this time, in both boys and girls. Acne is characterized by comedones (blackheads), papules (swellings without pus), pustules, nodules (gathering of swellings), or seborrhea (excessive sebum discharge). And it can cause hyper pigmentation or even scarring. Acne is increasingly considered to be an inflammatory disease at all the stages of its development. As such, it is clinically treated in a successful way through the use of anti-inflammatory agents at all stages of acne development.
The causes of acne are complicated, multi-factored, and not entirely understood in their full range of mechanisms, despite many years of research. Treatments, likewise, are not perfect. A good result from acne treatment is a reduction of 50% in the appearance of acne.




Creating a New Alphabet Drawn by Laura Maaske, MSc.BMC, Medical Illustrator & Medical Animator| e-Textbook Designer   This is a slide show of an alphabet I developed. For an explanation of its creation, go to this page. [slideshow_deploy id=’3388′] What are your ideas about the alphabet? Have you created one of your own? Please write […]



Written & Painted by Laura Maaske, MSc.BMC, Medical Illustrator & Medical Animator| e-Textbook Designer Earliest Human Impulses to Create an Alphabet   With the weather getting colder, I’ve been taking my daughters to parks a lot less. Recently, as an after-school activity, I talked with my daughters about the alphabet, how each character makes a […]



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