What is the sebaceous gland?
Sebaceous glands are so-called holocrine glands, whose secreting cells completely disintegrate as they release their secretion. From below, they are replaced by new cells.
Where are most of the sebaceous glands located?
A particularly large number of sebaceous glands are located on the scalp, nose, ear, genital area, T-zone (on the face) and in the front and back sweat grooves on the torso.
Free sebaceous glands
Sebaceous gland-free areas on the body
There are only a few places on the body where there are no sebaceous glands. These are the palm, the soles of the feet and the extensor sides of the nail limbs.
What is sebum?
Tallow (sebum) is the skin fat that is produced from the sebaceous gland cells and secreted to the surface of the skin. Sebum consists of a mixture of triglycerides, free fatty acids, waxes, squalene (hydrocarbons) and proteins, and to a small extent cholesterol.
What problems can a sebaceous gland cause?
A backlog of secretion in the excretory ducts leads to the so-called blackheads (comedones).
In acne vulgaris, the sebaceous glands are inflamed. If the inflammation spreads along the follicles into the depth, acne conglobata develops.
An increased flow of sebum is called seborrhea. It occurs mainly in adolescents. Reduced sebum production is called sebostasis. External influences such as UV light, cosmetics, oil and chlorine affect the activity of a sebaceous gland.
