Acne

Acne is another word for spots. These spots can appear on several different parts of your body, but they are usually:

• On your face.
• On your chest.
• On your shoulders.
• On your back.

Spots can start to form if the glands in your skin become clogged, because your skin produces too much sebum or because of a build-up of bacteria. This can also cause the glands in your skin to become infected.

Acne is most common in young people between the ages of 15 and 25, but it can certainly affect you before or after this time too.

Acne means you can suffer from the following symptoms:

• Blackheads. This is a build-up of sebum in your skin glands, resulting in a white head. When this opens up, a black dot may appear on it.
• Red infected spots. There will often be a yellow pus-filled head on top of it.
• Scars from previous spots or blackheads.

As these symptoms are visible, you may also experience feelings of embarrassment or gloominess. Although there’s often nothing you can do about the symptoms, we understand this can be very disturbing for you. We recommend you discuss things with your GP, or someone else you feel comfortable with if you feel very gloomy or embarrassed because of the acne.

There are a number of things you can do yourself to properly care for and heal your skin. For example, we recommend that you:

• Don’t scratch or squeeze the spots. Leave your skin alone.
• Thoroughly wash your face with water every morning and night.
• Use a spot remedy if it really bothers you. It’s best to use a product which contains 5% benzoyl peroxide if you use a product without a prescription. You can usually obtain a product like that in gel form from your chemist or pharmacy. Obtain good advice about the use of this medication and carefully read through the package leaflet. We recommend you avoid the sun or sunbeds if you have applied the product on your face. Benzoyl peroxide can be harmful to your skin when combined with UV radiation.

We also recommend eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water. A healthy diet and sufficient fluids (1.5 to 2 litres per day) are good for your skin. It’s not necessary to follow a special diet. Research shows there’s no clear link between acne and diet. So you can maintain a normal diet. Would you like to know more about what constitutes a normal and healthy diet? Then we recommend visiting the nutrition centre’s website.

You should see a doctor if:

• You have severe acne.
• The medication issued by the chemist or pharmacy has hardly helped. Contact your GP after 6 weeks.
• You have developed severe scars and would like advice regarding this.
• You have symptoms like gloominess or depression due to the acne. If you need a listening ear, your GP can offer you this, or possibly refer you to the practice nurse.