The bacteria that cause acne live on everyone's skin, yet one in five people is lucky enough to develop only an occasional pimple over a lifetime.
Does everyone get acne? Not quite, but almost everyone experiences some form of acne in their lives. Acne can range from a few patches here and there during puberty, to long-term irritation throughout adulthood.
Your genes influence how sensitive your skin is to hormonal and environmental factors. They also indicate your skin's resistance to bacteria and inflammation that causes acne. Hereditary diseases, allergies and hormone balances are all influenced by genetics that can influence your skin's resilience to acne.
Background In westernized societies, acne vulgaris is a nearly universal skin disease afflicting 79% to 95% of the adolescent population. In men and women older than 25 years, 40% to 54% have some degree of facial acne, and clinical facial acne persists into middle age in 12% of women and 3% of men.
Nearly everyone develops at least a few breakouts during the teenage years. It's impossible to predict who will develop more severe acne, but you have a higher risk if one or both of your parents (or other close blood relative) had severe acne that left them with acne scars.
It usually develops at the age of 13 and tends to peak at age 17 although it can persist into the twenties. Girls develop acne at an earlier age than boys, usually between the ages of 13 and 17. Their acne will usually start to improve after the age of 17.
Acne is one of the most common skin disorders worldwide and occurs primarily at puberty with a prevalence of almost 95 percent.
Acne conglobata (AC) is a rare but severe form of nodulocystic acne. It usually presents with tender, disfiguring, double or triple interconnecting comedones, cysts, inflammatory nodules, and deep burrowing abscesses on the face, shoulders, back, chest, upper arms, buttocks, and thighs.
Acne usually begins in puberty and affects many adolescents and young adults. Approximately 85 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 24 experience at least minor acne.
Acne commonly starts during puberty between the ages of 10 and 13 and tends to be worse in people with oily skin. Teenage acne usually lasts for five to 10 years, normally going away during the early 20s. It occurs in both sexes, although teenage boys tend to have the most severe cases.
Like testosterone, steroid medications increase the activity of sebaceous glands in the skin, contributing to acne. Low testosterone does not usually cause acne, but treating low testosterone by taking testosterone may cause acne as a side-effect.
Some people may be predisposed to having clearer skin or to certain skin conditions due to their genetic makeup. Genes can make a person more susceptible to certain types of skin damage, such as sun damage or sensitivity.
Up to 85 per cent of Australians will develop acne during their life, with approximately 5 per cent experiencing severe acne. Nearly half of men and women continue to experience acne into their thirties. Severe acne can be painful, distressing and embarrassing – affecting relationships and a person's sense of self.
According to The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 22% of adult women are affected by acne, compared to less than 5% of adult men. Like men, female acne is the result of too much oil being produced by the skin, which results in clogged pores = breakouts.
People of all races and ages get acne, but it is most common in teens and young adults. When acne appears during the teenage years, it is more common in males. Acne can continue into adulthood, and when it does, it is more common in women.
Acne is well-known since ancient times and is avowed to affect people even before humans could write.
Cystic acne — the most severe form of acne — occurs when oil and dead skin cells build up deep within hair follicles. The resulting rupture within your skin may form boil-like inflammation.
Bottom line: You can treat the superficial causes topically, but because acne involves genetics, the only permanent solution would involve gene therapy, which hasn't yet been developed. As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.
Acne is a cyclical problem that requires an “every day” treatment routine, not just emergency fixes when a spot pops up. You've also probably heard that picking or popping a pimple is a major no-no (and it's true), but simply ignoring breakouts won't help either.
Do acne scars go away on their own? Reddish or brownish acne marks left behind by acne lesions usually fade eventually, but it can take a year or longer. Mild or moderate scarring may also fade over time, but in general, unless acne scars are treated—especially severe scarring—they're permanent.
The prevalence of acne was greatest in countries with a high sociodemographic index (SDI), particularly Western Europe, East Asia, and high-income areas of the Asia Pacific. The regions with the lowest prevalence rates were Central Europe, Tropical Latin America, and Central Asia.
Due to Asian countries having a generally warm climate, Asian skin naturally produces more oil, which leaves individuals of Asian descent more susceptible to acne outbreaks as opposed to Caucasians.
The upside of having oily skin, acne-prone skin is longer telomeres. And apart from protecting you from an early death, longer telomeres also slow down your ageing process, making you look younger for longer.