subject: Acne and Sebaceous Glands [print this page] This is the time when we become more self conscious and more aware of our appearance. But have we ever sat down and thought about how and why acne appears? What actually occurs in our skin during an acne breakout? Well, the answer lies in "Sebaceous Glands".
What Are Sebaceous Glands? These are glands that are found within the dermis, which produce the skin's natural oil or sebum. The sebaceous glands secrete sebum, into the hair follicle where it then travels to the surface of the skin. Generally the sebum is deposited on the hairs inside the follicles and brought up to the surface of the skin along the hair shaft. In hairless areas, the sebum surfaces through ducts or pores. What Is The Link Between Sebaceous Glands and Acne?
Acne develops as a result of blockages in follicles. This skin condition usually begins at puberty, when the body starts to produce hormones called androgens which cause the enlargement and overestimulation of the sebaceous glands. These sebaceous glands begin to secrete sebum, which usually protects and lubricates the skin. However, the extra oil that the sebaceous glands produce mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria on the skin's surface and this blocks pores causing a build up of oil. Inside the blocked pore, bacteria multiply and cause inflammation leading to the spots and pustules associated with acne.
How Can Acne Lead To Infection? When a comedo, which can either be an open comodo (blackhead) or a closed comedo (whitehead), is blocking the outlet of the sebum canals, the sebaceous glands continue to form sebum. This accumulates in the canal increasing the comedo in size.
