Question

What causes pimples to appear in adolescents?

Answer 1

Hint: During adolescence, the activity of sebaceous glands increases due to hormonal influence. This is regarded as one of the many secondary sexual characters. Increased secretion of oil or sebum leads to pimple formation.

Complete answer:
Pimples develop when sebaceous or oil glands become clogged and infected which leads to swelling and formation of pus-filled red lesions on the skin. They are a part of acne and are also known as zits or spots. Teens get pimples due to hormonal changes that come with puberty. The pores in our skin contain sebaceous glands. With the onset of puberty, there’s an increase in the concentration of sex hormone, androgen, in the body. The oil glands become overactive, enlarge and produce too much oil or sebum due to the presence of excess hormone. In the presence of excess sebum, the hair follicles become blocked with the skin cells. The increase in sebum also leads to an overgrowth of bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes.

Additional information:
The symptoms of pimples and acnes vary in severity, however, few of the common ones are as follows:
- Clogged pores (pimples, whiteheads, blackheads)
- Papules (elevated lesions)
- Pustules (elevated lesions with pus)
- Cysts (nodules filled with pus)

Many skin care products are available for treatment. However, some of the common compounds (under expert’s advice) that can be used are as follows:
- Lactic acid
- Retinoids (Vitamin A)
- Glycolic acid
- Salicylic acid
- Other fruit acids.

Note: More than 85% of teenagers have skin problems such as clogged pores (whiteheads, blackheads), acnes and pimples. Sometimes, they have hard, deep lumps on the face, neck, chest, shoulder and back. The chances of such a condition increases if parents have a similar history.