Acne

Acne is a disease with a very high prevalence in young population (about 80% of adolescents and 30% of young adults), the period in which their external appearance is an important calling card for social interactions, conditioning deep social point of view. Its chronic relapsing course, the long duration of the disease and the need for continuous treatments affect with a big impact on patients both from a psychological and about relationships point of view. The acneic skin is characterized by a very complex situation, with various alterations, often connected to each other:

– Alteration of the sebum consistency, which is denser than normal and difficult to remove;
– Tendency to blockage of sebaceous follicles;
– Presence of bacterial and inflammatory complications.

The latter are due, in most cases, to a specific bacterium, Propionibacterium acnes which often become resistant to antibiotics normally used in acne treatment. Acne occurs on a “breeding ground”, clearly facilitating a genetic predisposition, in which are involved several triggering factors, such as the presence of Propionibacterium acnes, stress, androgens or diet.

The most commonly affected areas are the face, back and chest.

Acne clinical manifestations are primitively represented by a microcomedone, a primary lesion, which may results in non-inflammatory lesions (closed comedo and open comedo); or, because of the proliferation of Propionibacterium acnes, inflammatory lesions papule, pustule, nodules or cysts.