L70: Acne

L70.1: Acne conglobata

Every hair is anchored in a small bulb, the hair follicle. Sebaceous glands are usually attached to these hair follicles. The sebaceous glands produce an oily substance for the skin called sebum. Sebum prevents the skin from drying out.

Acne involves more sebum being produced than is normal. This often causes the skin to be greasy. Pores in the skin can then get blocked and become inflamed. This can cause spots to appear. The skin in these areas is usually red and thick. Acne usually affects the face and back in particular.

You have a particularly bad case of acne. As a result, your skin is very inflamed in certain places. Lumps or wounds can also form in the skin. When the inflammation fades, the skin may be left deeply scarred.