Acne Glossary of Terms

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3. Helping Your Teen With Acne Slideshow Pictures

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acne: Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the ba...

Acne rosacea: A chronic skin disease that causes persistent redness over the areas of the ...

Acne vulgaris: The common form of acne, in teens and young adults, that is due to overacti...

Anatomy: The study of human or animal form, by observation or examination of the living be...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Birth control: Birth control is the use of any practices, methods, or devices to prevent p...

Blackhead: A familiar term for what is medically called an open comedo. A comedo, the prim...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Comedo: The primary sign of acne, consisting of a widened hair follicle filled with kerati...

Comedones: The plural of comedo, the primary sign of acne, consisting of a dilated (widen...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

Dermabrasion: A surgical procedure that involves the controlled scraping away of the upper...

Dermatologic: Having to do with skin.

Dermatology: 1. The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dilation: The process of enlargement, stretching, or expansion. The word "dilatation" mean...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

Estrogens: Female hormones produced by the ovaries. Estrogen deficiency can lead to osteop...

Exacerbate: To make worse. For example, smoking may exacerbate lung disease.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Folliculitis: An infection or inflammation of the hair follicles of the skin. Inflammation...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Gland: A group of cells that secrete a substance for use in the body. For example, the thy...

Hair follicle: A sac from which a hair grows and into which the sebaceous (oil) glands ope...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Inflammatory bowel disease: A group of chronic intestinal diseases characterized by infla...

Lipids: Another word for "fats." (Please see the various meanings of Fat.) Lipids can be m...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstrual cycle: The monthly cycle of changes in the ovaries and the lining of the uteru...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Nodular: Bumpy.

Papules: Small solid rounded bumps rising from the skin that are each usually less than 1 ...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Pimples: Small papules or pustules. See: Pimple.

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Propionibacterium acnes: A ubiquitous skin-dwelling organism that is involved in causing a...

Puberty: Adolescence, the period in which the human body first becomes capable of reproduc...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Remission: Disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer or other disease. A remission...

Retinoid: 1. Vitamin A (retinol) or a naturally occurring or synthetic substance ch...

Rosacea: A chronic skin disease that causes persistent redness over the areas of the face ...

Rupture: A break or tear in any organ (such as the spleen) or soft tissue (such as the ach...

Sebaceous gland: A normal gland of the skin which empties an oily secretion into the hair ...

Sebum: An oily secretion of the sebaceous gland which helps to preserve the flexibility of...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Tetracycline: A family of broad-spectrum antibiotics effective against a remarkably wide v...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. For example, a topical agent is applied ...

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is retinol. Carotene compounds (found, for example, in egg yolk, butt...

Whitehead: A familiar term for what is medically called a closed comedo. A comedo, the pri...

Zinc: A mineral that is essential to the body and is a constituent of many enzymes that pe...