• Question: why do some children get acne and is there a cure other than taking tablets or using creams... and will they go away when you get older....

    Asked by aknox537 to Pete, Rebecca, SallyB, Sally, Sian on 24 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Sally Fenton

      Sally Fenton answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Almost 8/10 young people get acne so it is not uncommon. Acne normally appears because of the change in hormones you experience as you grow up. Basically the hormones which begin to change cause glands in your skin to produce more oil than normal…and this oil cloggs up the pores on your face and trap bacteria inside…this causes acne. For most people acne goes away almost completely by the time they are out of their teens.

      I don’t think there is any treament other than creams or tablets given by a doctor.

    • Photo: Rebecca Randell

      Rebecca Randell answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      I’m not 100% sure why some people get acne and some don’t. I think it might be something to do with the change in hormones that people experience when they go through puberty. I think in most cases acne does go away with age.

    • Photo: Peter Styring

      Peter Styring answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      your skin is covered with tiny holes called hair follicles, or pores. Pores contain sebaceous oil glands that make sebum, an oil that moistens your hair and skin. Most of the time the glands make the right amount of sebum, and the pores are fine. But sometimes a pore gets clogged up with too much sebum, dead skin cells, and germs called bacteria. This can cause acne. If a pore gets clogged up, closes, and bulges out from the skin, that’s a whitehead. If a pore clogs up but stays open, the top surface can get dark and you’re left with a blackhead. Sometimes the walls of the pore are broken, allowing sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to get under the skin. This causes a small, red infection called a pimple.
      Medication is usually the best treatment although a good diet helps prevent acne. They usually go as you get older although you will still get a few.

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