
Acne prone skin, once largely the preserve of teenagers, is an increasing issue for all ages. Put simply, sebum production is abnormally high in the acne sufferer. Follicular hyperkeratosis (excess dead skin cells) restricts the oil emerging onto the skin, and it gets trapped in the follicle, where it changes into the cheesy substance that we all(!) love to squeeze out of our blackheads. If this remains trapped, oil will pool, and the bacteria P acnes will breed. Our immune response is triggered, leading to pus formation and inflammation. Pus will generally escape onto the skin, but if it’s too deep, it may lead to nodules and eventually burst, damaging collagen and causing scarring.