By Christine Haran
Practically everyone has a story about an unwelcome pimple that managed to rear its ugly head on a day that involved a job interview, class photo or date.
One possible reason for the poor timing of breakouts is that acne can be caused by stress. And although we may be tempted to blame these eruptions on the chocolate bar or greasy hamburger eaten the night before, there's little scientific evidence to back up this old wives' tale or many of the other myths about acne.
It's well established, however, that teenagers are particularly unlucky when it comes to acne. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, nearly 100 percent of teenagers have pimples now and then, and 40 percent of teens have acne that is severe enough to require treatment. But it's not just a problem for adolescents: Acne can continue to be an issue into the 20s and 30s—and sometimes people get acne for the first time as adults.
Below, Diane Berson, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City, discusses what causes acne and how to treat it.
What is acne?
Acne can appear a lot of different ways. Usually it consists of blackheads and whiteheads, which we commonly refer to respectively as open comedones and closed comedones. It can also consist of papules, which are pink pimples, and pustules, which are white, pus-filled pimples, and sometimes more painful and larger nodules and sebaceous cysts.
Copyright 2009 NBC Health
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