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THE DERMATOLOGIST, AN ACNE SPECIALIST

THE DERMATOLOGIST IS YOUR ACNE SPECIALIST!  HE/SHE WILL HELP YOU CHOOSE THE BEST, MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT

Skin disorders are often readily visible and unsightly.  Although they are not life-threatening, they can make life less pleasant, as is the case of acne.  It is important to get the advice of a specialist who understands the skin and its pathologies, and who can recommend the best treatments.

 

 1. What is acne ?

There are different types of acne, each of which requires a specific therapeutic approach; each case has its own best treatment!  In fact, acne is essentially caused by the inflammation of the pilosebaceous follicles (hair shaft + sebum-secreting gland) under hormonal dependence.  This is why acne usually occurs at puberty, which generally begins a little earlier for girls than for boys.

You have no doubt noticed that acne may appear in different forms :


 Sometimes as unsightly blackheads (especially on the nose).

Sometimes in the form of inflamed red lesions that evolve into whiteheads (pustules due to superinfection) or deep red, painful cysts.

 

It is common for one person to suffer from these different types of acne simultaneously, with the risk of scarring, especially when the lesions are "manhandled" !

You know that acne can affect different parts of the body:
 The face
 The back or torso
 The shoulders and neck

 

Some people develop a great many lesions, and others relatively few.  It all depends on genetic factors that determine each individual's sensitivity to the hormones (androgens) whose concentration in the blood rises sharply during puberty ? a veritable hormonal upheaval !

 

The condition generally improves at age 18 to 20, but acne is not uncommon later in life, especially among women (after age 25 or 30) due, at least partially, to the use of certain types of oral contraceptives.
 
 
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