Directory:Ask the Doctors

Acne: Words to Know

Androgen:

A male sex hormone found in both males and females.

Anti-androgen:

A drug that slows down the production of androgens.

Antibiotic:

A drug that kills bacteria.

Comedo:

A hard plug that develops in the pores of the skin composed of sebum and dead skin cells. The mildest form of acne.

Comedolytic:

Drugs that break up comedos and open clogged pores.

Isotretinoin:

A drug that decreases sebum production and dries up acne pimples.

Sebum:

An oily material produced by sebaceous glands that keeps the skin moist.

Tretinoin:

A drug that increases the rate at which skin cells are formed and die.

Addiction: Words to Know

Detoxification:

Withdrawal; the process by which a person gives up a substance or activity to which he or she has become addicted.

Impairment:

An inability to carry on normal everyday functions because of an addiction.

Methadone:

A chemical given to addicts to help them overcome their addiction to heroin.

Physiological dependence:

A condition in which a person's body requires certain behaviors or the intake of some substance, without which it will become ill.

Process addiction:

A condition in which a person is dependent on some type of behavior, such as gambling, shopping, or sexual activity.

Psychological dependence:

A condition in which a person requires certain activities or the intake of some substance in order to maintain mental stability.

Substance addiction:

A condition in which a person is dependent on some chemical substance, such as cocaine or heroin.

Tolerance:

The ability of a body to endure a certain amount of a substance that had previously been too much for it to tolerate.

Twelve-step program:

A plan for overcoming an addiction by going through twelve stages of personal development.

Withdrawal:

The process by which a person adjusts to the absence of some substance or activity to which he or she has become addicted.