Even though healthy skin is protected from excessive levels of bacteria by the sebum covering it, we all carry, both on the skin's surface and inside our pores, a safe level of many different types of bacteria. Among those is a little fellow called Propionibacterium acnes or, fittingly enough, P. acnes for short. It is a hearty character, tough to kill both because it is resistant to many bacteriocides and because it lives not only on the skin's surface but also hidden deep within your pores.
Normally, P. acnes is kept under control both because the sebum tends to leach out excessive growths of the bacteria from your pores and because the sebum is mildly acidic, a condition P. acnes dislikes. However, once the sebum builds up in a static balloon, the P. acnes, now living in a warm, damp, oily 'broth' of sebum, is able to overcome (or perhaps neutralize) the acidity and multiply in profusion. The result is that the sebum degrades and turns into an infected, suppurating mixture of oil and pus.
Among other unpleasant effects of this mess is its tendency to breed bacteria and generate toxins that attack the canal walls, thinning and weakening them. Since they are already stretched, this obviously heightens the risk of their rupture.
Eventually, of course, the mess has to break out. It does so either by spewing on to the surface of the skin or, if you are unlucky, by breaking inwards. This occurs if the canal walls have thinned enough, if the surface plug is particularly thick and firmly fixed, if the pus balloon is extra deep or if there is a combination of all of these. When it does happen, you suffer from a deep, sore lump in your skin that may not subside for several weeks. If the condition is severe enough, a new infection may occur deep inside your epidermis and may form a cyst that will pierce the barrier membrane and penetrate deep into the dermis. When that happens, you are likely to have a permanent scar.
By the way, this also explains why it is so undesirable to squeeze your pimples. Because you cannot squeeze them entirely from underneath, if you do squeeze, you are likely to push some of the pus down into the dermis as well as up and out. If that happens (and it is almost bound to if you squeeze frequently), you are not only prolonging your condition but also, even worse, risking the formation of acne cysts, which cause permanent scarring. Under certain conditions your doctor may 'squeeze' a particularly nasty acne lesion as an alternative to removing it surgically. However, he or she will use a special instrument designed to remove the material without rupturing the canal. There is no way you can duplicate this procedure at home.
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If you are interested in booking a FREE consultation for advice on the best treatments and products for your acne or acne scarring, please call us today on 01132 823 300 or complete an enquiry form.
