How Exactly Do Pimples Form? by George Hutton

There is a common disease, a skin disease, that 96% of all people get at some point during their life. This disease isn't dangerous, or deadly, or won't even make you sick. But this can have a devastating effect on your self esteem and your self confidence, as it hits when we are least prepared to deal with, which is during those difficult times of adolescence. What I'm referring to, is acne. What exactly is acne?

Acne is what happens when one or more (usually more, a lot more) pilosebaceous units goes haywire. What happens inside these little units, of which you have millions of, is responsible for those unsightly blackheads and whiteheads you may very well have right now. The vast majority get acne during puberty, and it can linger up through the mid twenties, or even longer in some cases. So far, there hasn't been any way to determine the length of an acne outbreak.

What exactly is going on inside these small units? Well, lets take a look at the structure. The basic components of this unit is a hair follicle, a pore, and a couple of oil producing glands called sebaceous glands. These sebaceous glands must always be making sebum, or skin oil, in order to keep your skin from getting to dry and damaged.

Because our bodies are designed very efficiently, often we have one element performing two or more different functions, and this little unit is no different. A hair can be made here, and oil is also made here, the oil that keeps your skin healthy. When everything is functioning normally, there's no problem.

The problems begin when the top of the pore becomes clogged for some reason. There are many potential causes for this, which will be the subject of another article. But when this pore gets clogged, that's when you can get acne. The sebaceous glands continue to produce oil, which of course causes a massive increase in pressure inside this tiny little unit on your skin. This can lead to pustules or nodules being formed as well as inflammation. This just means that there is pressure inside this little unit, and there is no where to go.

The secret is to not only get rid of it once you get it, but to also figure out how to keep from getting it in the first place. Many times this will be the identical remedy, in the form of topically applied creams and remedies. Other solutions include changes in diet, and different stress management programs, and even hormone therapy.