I want youth, not acne: A journey through the "skin factory"

Author: Wang Wanying, Du Haojie, Zhou Yi, Xi'an Medical College

Reviewer: Zhang Shuyuan, Chief Physician, Beijing Huayi Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Dermatology Hospital

"I've been feeling a bit down lately.

I suffer from insomnia and eat too much, and my face is covered with lumps.

Many folk remedies are really unbearable.

But it can never be completely eliminated.

Who can help me solve this problem?

I just want youth, not acne.

Let it go and don’t look back.”

The song "I Want Youth, Not Acne" rang in my headphones, and I wish there was a good prescription that could completely eliminate the acne on my face.

Suddenly, a huge factory came into view.

A doctor in a white coat waved to me and said, "Hello! I'm Doctor S. I'll take you to visit the 'skin factory'." With the idea of ​​"since I'm here, I might as well make the most of it," I followed Doctor S's steps.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

First, we came to the workshop on the first floor. Doctor S proudly told me: "The 'skin factory' is in direct contact with the outside world. It has three layers and has functions such as protection, excretion, regulating body temperature, and sensing external stimuli . The first layer, which is where we are now, is the supply center of the entire factory, called the 'subcutaneous tissue'. Adipose tissue also works here, and there are a few sweat glands, which is a relatively densely populated area."

I nodded and followed Doctor S to the second floor.

"This layer is the 'dermis', where many talents gather and it is also the most prosperous and beautiful landscape."

Looking around, the hair in the center of the tall "signal tower" rises into the "clouds", the pipes composed of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels continuously provide nutrients, and the "houses" composed of collagen fibers and elastic fibers are lined up in rows.

"Wow! There seems to be a power station over there!" I said happily to Dr. S.

"Kid, this is where the hair is located. Deep down there are the sebaceous glands, and the hair grows from them."

"Good morning, Doctor S." A kind old man in work clothes nodded to us, and Doctor S responded, "Good morning, Worker Mao." Then he turned to me and said, "He is a member of the sebaceous gland and a veteran employee of this factory. He is responsible for the secretion and transportation of oil."

I nodded, thinking: "What does the top floor look like?" Following Doctor S's steps, we reached the third floor, which is the epidermis - where the factory connects to the outside world!

The cells of the epidermis form an indestructible line of defense: the stratum corneum protects against damage and locks in moisture; the stratum granulosum filters ultraviolet rays and prevents the invasion of foreign matter; the spinous stratum cells are huge in number and work together to lock in moisture; and the basal cells provide powerful logistical support.

The employees in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue deliver nutrients, the keratinocytes on the surface of the skin are tough and dense, protecting other parts like an umbrella, and the "hair station" passes through this layer to reach the outside world, while expelling oil and metabolic waste to the outside world through the small holes around it. Everyone performs their duties and enjoys it.

As soon as we finished our visit to the skin factory, we heard a sharp voice in the air: "Alarm! Alarm! The S302 hair station is about to explode. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately." Doctor S and I quickly hid in the protective cabin. With a loud bang, the originally bustling streets instantly lost their original color and became gray. The streets and alleys were full of sticky grease. The bacteria that had been lurking for a long time rushed forward, and the neutrophils waited for an opportunity to move, and the air was filled with smoke.

"What's going on?" I looked at Doctor S anxiously. He sighed and said, "Excessive oil secretion will cause pores to become clogged, bacteria will run rampant, and neutrophils will fight hard to defend our homeland, leaving a lot of pus on the battlefield, which will form the pimples you hate. But when we rebuild our homeland, the pimples will disappear."

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

I was shocked by the scene in front of me. Doctor S patted me on the shoulder and said, "But you don't have to worry too much. It is normal to have acne during puberty. Now that medical technology is developing so rapidly, we have developed many new drugs to fight acne. Let's go and visit our 'R&D room' together."

The R&D room was filled with a wide variety of medicines, including topical and oral medicines, and experts were concentrating on conducting experiments. I suddenly saw hope for treating acne.

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

"Child, get enough sleep, pay attention to facial cleansing, avoid excessive stress, and use appropriate medications to get rid of acne. Well, it's time for you to go home, let me see you off for the last time!" Doctor S waved to me, and his figure gradually disappeared.

I opened my eyes and leaned back in my chair, the music in my headphones still playing. The trip to the "skin factory" was over, and I accepted the existence of acne.

Many girls have experienced “fighting acne” during adolescence, but acne is not scary, because it is also a symbol of youth and vitality. Accepting acne is also accepting your own imperfections. I hope that every girl can “only want youth, not acne” on the road to growth, and live out her own wonderful life!