Occlusive acne - A particularly adult form of adult acne

Occlusive acne - A particularly adult form of adult acne

For many people, acne is synonymous with teenage spots. Once you make the painful transition from childhood to adulthood, acne is no longer a problem. The reality is that acne affects all ages, from newborns to adults. However, since the vast majority of acne cases occur in adolescence, this age group inevitably becomes the focus of most people's attention.

It must be said that for a doctor, teenage acne is the least interesting of all types of acne. Unfortunately, many teenage acne sufferers fit the stereotype of being both spotty and sloppy. Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that most primary care physicians, who typically deal with more than 50 teenage acne sufferers at a time, do not give these patients the time, care, and attention they warrant.

The other clinical types of acne are much rarer and also much more interesting from a clinical point of view than juvenile acne. The type of acne that perhaps arouses the greatest interest among physicians, although it must be emphasized that this interest is sometimes prurient, is somewhat affectionately referred to as kinky acne, although technically it is a specific subtype of the clinical form of acne known as occlusion-induced acne.

The characteristic feature of all different clinical types of acne are spots. Although the cause of the spots varies between different types of acne, the mechanism by which the spots form is essentially similar and involves a combination of one or more of the following elements - blockage of the sebaceous glands, overproduction of sebum, and colonization of the sebaceous duct by the acne-promoting bacterium Proponiobacterium acnes. The formation of can be induced experimentally Acne spots on human skin by applying impermeable adhesive plaster for a period of a few days. This type of acne is a form of acne caused by occlusion, as it is the blockage of the sebaceous duct by the adhesive plaster that creates the conditions in which the spots develop.

Kinky acne is another form of Acne caused by occlusion, although in the case of kinky acne, the experiment that causes the acne tends to be sexual in nature. People who engage in sadomasochistic or bondage activities may wear tight-fitting garments or restraints made of impermeable materials such as PVC, latex or leather for long periods of time. A high proportion of people who engage in sadomasochism or bondage for long periods develop acne in the areas where the surface of the skin is obscured by tight-fitting or demure outfits or accessories. Most patients with kinky acne who consult a doctor have already guessed the diagnosis, since the distribution of the spots follows a characteristic pattern that closely matches the garment or restraint that caused them. Patients with messy acne may be less than pleased to discover that the only way to effectively treat the complaint is to completely abstain from their unusual pastimes until the spots clear. However, some doctors take comfort in the fact that their masochistic acne patients may derive additional pleasure from the discomfort caused by their kinky acne.

The other group at risk from a similar form of occlusion-induced acne are soldiers and sailors, particularly those serving in tropical or subtropical conditions. In these military cases of occlusive acne, the soldier's backpack straps and webbing that close the surface of the skin are the cause of the acne. Hot, humid conditions exacerbate the problem, as soldiers tend to forego uniform items that normally protect the upper body from direct contact with backpack straps, and the humidity and excessive sweating increase the maceration effect. Again, eliminating the cause of the problem, which in the case of the military means a period of light duty, is the only effective means of treatment and usually results in rapid improvement of the condition.

Soldiers, sailors, and sadomasochists may make unpleasant bedfellows as sufferers of this rare and unusual adult acne, but they happen to provide mild relief from the boredom of treating teenage acne.

Inspired by Gavin Walker