Diet

Many people think that certain foods, in particular chocolate and pork fat causes acne, but scientific proof is lacking. Chocolate, for example, appears to have no significant influence.Dietary restriction resulting in marked weight loss reduces seborrhoea, but cannot be considered as routine treatment.A personal study of 100 acne patients found no link between acne severity, caloric intake, carbohydrate, lipids, proteins, minerals, amino acids or vitamins.

Mark and scars

Once the pimples heals may leave mark/scar. Close inspection of acne skin can reveal some scarring in up to 90% of individuals . But significant scarring occurs in 22%. Scars may show increased collagen (hypertrophic scars and keloids) or be associated with loss of collagen (i.e. ice-pick scars, depressed fibrotic scars, atrophic macules and perifollicular elastolysis).Ice-pick scars are self-explanatory, and are most evident on the cheeks. Post inflammatory pigmentation is known as pimple marks. A common feature of darkly pigmented skin is the relatively persistent marks, which may be more disabling than the original disease. Many people are worried about these consequences.

blackheads and whiteheads

Non-inflamed pimples are known as comedones They are more frequent in the younger patients.There are two types of comedones. One is blackheads also known as open comedones , in which the black colour is due to melanin but not dirt.And another is whiteheads also known as closed comedones.
Apart from blackheads and whiteheads ,we often see inflammatory pimples like papules, pustules (5mm or less in diameter), and nodules.

common sites

Acne is a polymorphic disease, which occurs predominantly on the face (99%) and, to a lesser extent, occurs on the back and shoulder(60%) and chest (15%).In young men, it affects mainly the face, and in older males the back is also significantly affected. Increase oiliness of the face known as Seborrhoea is a frequent feature.

How pimples are developed ?

1.There is increase multiplication with retention of skin cells at tip of oil secreting glands(sebaceous glands) known as ductal hypercornification ,which presents histologically as micro-comedones, and clinically as blackheads and whiteheads.So,comedones represent the retention of hyperproliferating ductal keratinocytes/skin cells in the duct. Several factors have been implicated in the induction of hyper proliferation, and include sebaceous lipid composition, androgen's, local cytokine production and bacteria. There is also increase in secretion of sebum from the sebaceous glands.
2.Acne is not infectious. The major organisms isolated from the surface of the skin and the duct of patients with acne are Propionibacterium acnes .Pimples/acne are associated with a significant increase in P. acnes, but there is little or no relationship between the number of bacteria on the skin surface or in the ducts and the severity of acne.
3.Inflammation/redness in acne lesions are due to pro-inflammatory mediators present within the skin producing inflammatory acne.

Genetic factors for pimples.

Several studies have shown that genetic factors influence susceptibility to acne. A genetic influence is confirmed by the very high concordance between mono zygotic twins, in which the extent and severity of acne and the sebum excretion rate (SER) are virtually identical. Comedone numbers are also similar in identical twins, suggesting a genetic role in comedone formation.. Furthermore, in three pairs of identical twins, severe nodular acne developed at approximately the same time in each pair.

Age limit for pimples

The condition usually starts in adolescence and frequently resolves by the mid-twenties. But can start as early as 9 years of age and may continue to appear even after 40 years of age.
One type of pimples appear during infancy known as infantile acne and usually subside at the end of second year, but may last up to 5 years of age.

Defination of pimple/acne

Pimple is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous units(oil secreting gland of the skin also known as sebaceous gland,which is present around the hair follicle).The medical term for pimple is known as acne.Common form of acne known as acne vulgaris.
It is characterized by the formation of comedones, red/erythematous papules and pustules, less frequently by nodules or pseudo cysts and, in some cases, is accompanied by scarring.

Introduction

Beautiful is applied to that which gives the highest degree of aesthetic pleasure to the senses or to the mind and suggests that the object of delight approximates one's conception of an ideal. Our skin is god’s gift which covers and protects our internal organs. Maintaining our skin as beautiful as possible is our prime duty. The skin, by virtue of its visual appeal, smell and feel, plays an important role in social and sexual communication in humans, as it does in other animals. Cosmetics and clothes are used to enhance the appearance and sometimes (but not always) sexual attraction
People are becoming more aware about their skin.Adolescence and adults are very concern about their skin especially the skin over the face. In this age group the most important cosmetic problem is pimple. In this blog every point is discussed about pimples with nice photographs.