Acne Vulgaris is an inflammatory disease of the skin that is usually a result of blockage of the pores of the skin. People all over the world are affected by acne and refer to Acne as pimples or zits. No one really knows what causes acne. The fact that 85% of the world's teenagers suffer from acne Vulgaris is reflected by its name Vulgaris (which means common in Latin and not ugly as people assume).

The truth is that there is no scientific study that pin point acne to one factor. And what might aggravate acne in one individual sometimes has no effect on the other. A common myth about acne is that acne is aggravated by oily foods.

There is no concrete proof that can say that acne is caused or aggravated by oily foods. In fact there is no concrete proof if the food a person eats has any effect on acne at all. But before discussing the various aspects of acne, the first thing to understand is what is acne? A normal hair follicle usually expels the oil that is developed to the surface of the skin. However in the case of acne the oil gets trapped under the skin and this creates an ideal situation for bacteria to develop.

A bacterium usually infects the skin and the inflammatory reaction is called acne. Acne is generally categorized into inflammatory and non inflammatory acne. In non-inflammatory acne the bacteria and oil get trapped within the skin and usually show up as small white spots (called whiteheads).

Whiteheads can be so small that they are sometimes invisible to the naked eye. Blackheads develop when the melanin pigment of the skin also gets trapped within the skin; usually blackheads take longer to clear up when compared to whiteheads. In inflammatory acne, papules develop as a result of a break in the inner follicular wall.

Once the blood fills the papules it's only a matter of time before the papules develop into pustules. In either case there is an inflammation of the skin. A pustule is commonly referred to as a zit or pimple. Inflammatory acne is more common and is seen in teenagers that have started puberty. By and large inflammatory acne is more wide spread and common. There are various treatments and home remedies available for acne.

However some of the home remedies actually end up worsening the condition. Another important thing to remember when it comes to acne is that there is no time period within which acne disappears, in rare cases acne persists well into the forties. Apart from hormones, it is also a popularly acknowledged fact that acne is also hereditary and the probability of being effected with acne increases if there is a past history of acne in the family. As mentioned earlier there is no known scientific theory that can pinpoint acne to a particular factor, and similarly there is no set treatment that can work for an individual. In fact depending on an individual's response to treatment a custom treatment plan is developed for each individual.

Topical bactericidal creams and Topical antibiotics A more direct approach in treating acne is using bactericidal creams and topical antibiotics. Topical bactericidal creams usually contain benzoyl peroxide and are normally applied twice a day on the effected region. Topical bactericides are usually recommended in mild or medium acne.

Since benzoyl peroxide works by oxidising and preventing bacterial growth in the affected area, there is no chance of resistance to benzoyl peroxide. The only downside of using bactericidal creams is that due to their bleaching nature they might cause redness of the skin and irritation in the areas where they are applied. Topical antibiotics have a downside in that there is a chance of bacterial resistance resulting from frequent use. However compared to oral antibiotics topical antibiotics are equally effective and do not have any of the side effects like stomach upsets associated with oral antibiotics.

Simon Gittins is the author of this article on zit. Find more information about bacteriahere.