Acne is an eruptive skin disease. It is essentially a disorder of the sebaceous glands around hair follicles. Sebaceous glands secrete sebum, a substance made up of fat and fragments of dead fat producing cells. The purpose of sebum is to act as a protector of skin and hair, by waterproofing it, to keep it from becoming dry and brittle. However, when these glands are over active, excessive sebum combines with the naturally occurring dead skin, dust and dirt surrounding the hair follicle and blocks the follicle. The blocked follicle is an ideal environment for skin bacteria to proliferate uninhibitedly. As a result, the skin around the follicle becomes inflamed, forming black heads, or visible cysts which we can observe as acne.

The most common form of acne is called