Acne Defined

Acne vulgaris (common acne) is a condition of the sebaceous glands of the skin. The sebaceous glands surround each hair follicle and produce sebum, an oily substance, to lubricate the hair. Acne usually appears on the face, back and chest.
Acne is the most common skin disease during adolescence and early adulthood. It peaks in females between the ages of 14 and 17 and in males between the ages of 16 and 19. Males are affected more severely than females. Eighty-five percent of high school students will have some acne. Ten percent of those with adolescent acne will continue to suffer from acne into their 20's and 30's. And sometimes "adult acne" will begin in the 20's, 30's and 40's and later years and continue due to stress and fatigue which can cause increased production of hormones by the adrenal gland with increased levels of androgens. These hormones worsen acne. Six percent of females and eight percent of males in their fifties and later still suffer from acne. Acne affects more than 17 million adult Americans and approximately 60 million adults in other countries.
Acne usually begins one to two years before puberty and is caused by stimulation of the facial sebaceous glands by androgens, the male hormones. (Women also produce small quantities of male hormones; this is the basis of acne in women.) It is thought that acne sufferers, rather than having higher levels of the hormones, actually have sebaceous glands that are more sensitive to the hormone.