WHO
GETS ACNE?
© By Elizabeth Radisson
Unbelievably, nearly everybody in the world gets pimples. When the body shifts into higher gear and puberty begins at the age of 12, hormones start taking over. It does not matter if you are a man or a woman. It does not matter where you come from and who your parents were. I have never heard of a person who had stayed blemish-free in all the years of his or her life. Whether it is food or pollution, something is bound to upset your hormonal balance eventually.
More than 40 percent of all teens develop cases of acne severe enough to warrant medical treatment. Most cases are usually solved without the need for fancy treatments, although more than one trip to the doctor is required. However, modern medicine has produced a wide range of prescription and over-the-counter products to help people deal with their acne without unnecessary pain.
However, not all acne cases can be treated quite that easily. Acne comes and goes on its own, between the age of twelve and twenty-three, but some people develop severe forms of acne, while others get acne for the first time as adults. This is mostly the case for men. Because of the higher level of androgens in their systems, men are far more likely than women are to suffer from acne. In women, acne is associated with their fertility cycle and the hormonal changes it entails.
While most cases of acne are confined to the facial skin, most of the people suffering from this condition experience at least the occasional blackhead or pimple down the arms, on the back, the chest or even on the buttocks.
The social impact of acne is huge. The unpleasant sight of pimples makes many people run to the near drugstore or pharmacy because of the perceived influence acne has in social relations. Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent every year around the world on anti-acne products by people on five continents.
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