青春痘有藥醫嗎？：英語精讀講義

Whether it's the first day of school, 文法

無論是開學第一天，

a big interview,

一場重要的面試，

or your wedding day,

還是你的婚禮當天，

pimples find a way of cropping up 片語動詞

痘痘總有辦法冒出來，

at the most inconvenient times.

而且偏偏挑最不方便的時候。

But why do they occur and how do we get rid of them? 片語搭配

但它們為什麼會出現，我們又該怎麼擺脫它們呢？

The term pore is just another way of saying hair follicle 片語搭配

「毛孔」其實只是毛囊的另一種說法，

and your body is covered in them.

而你的全身都布滿了毛囊。

Within the follicle is a gland that produces 文法

毛囊裡有一種腺體，會分泌

an oily substance called sebum, 用詞

一種叫作皮脂的油性物質，

which empties onto the skin

它會排到皮膚表面，

to keep your hair and body moisturized. 文法

讓毛髮和皮膚保持滋潤。

But if the hair follicle becomes clogged 片語搭配

但如果毛囊被

with dead skin cells and oils,

死皮細胞和油脂堵住，

a blockage is created.

就會形成阻塞。

Sebum continues to be produced, 文法

皮脂仍會持續分泌，

but it's trapped within the follicle,

卻被困在毛囊裡，

making it become enlarged. 文法

讓毛囊變得腫大。

And this is where bacteria come into play, 慣用語

這時，細菌就登場了，

feeding on the dead skin and sebum,

它們以死皮和皮脂為食，

which can unfortunately lead to infection.

不幸的是，這可能引發感染。

Your immune system responds by sending blood to the area, 文法

免疫系統會做出反應，把血液送到這個部位，

giving the appearance of redness and inflammation, 片語搭配

使那裡看起來發紅、發炎，

and white blood cells come to the site too

白血球也會趕到現場，

to clear up the infection. 片語動詞

清除感染。

When the white blood cells die,

當白血球死亡後，

they combined with the dead skin and sebum

它們會和死皮及皮脂混合，

create the pus-filled pimple.

形成充滿膿液的痘痘。

If the blockage occurs under the skin,

如果阻塞發生在皮膚下方，

it creates a white bump known as a whitehead. 片語搭配

就會形成白色突起，稱為白頭粉刺。

And if the blockage is above the skin

如果阻塞出現在皮膚表面，

and black discoloration occurs,

並且顏色變黑，

it's known as a blackhead.

就稱為黑頭粉刺。

This is a result of melanin in the dead skin cells

這是因為死皮細胞中的黑色素

reacting with oxygen,

與氧氣產生反應，

creating a black color.

形成黑色。

It's not dirt.

那可不是髒汙。

We get the most pimples when we're teens

青少年時期，我們最容易長痘痘，

due to the increased amount of androgen hormones 用詞

因為體內的雄性荷爾蒙會增加，

like testosterone in our bodies

例如睪固酮，

at the onset of puberty. 片語搭配

這種變化會在青春期開始時出現。

Testosterone sends the production of sebum into overdrive, 慣用語

睪固酮會讓皮脂分泌量暴增，

increasing the incidence of blockages. 用詞

因而更容易造成阻塞。

But zits can occur at any time. 用詞

不過，痘痘隨時都可能出現，

often brought on by stressful events. 片語動詞

通常是由壓力事件所引發。

Cortisol, the stress hormone, 文法

壓力荷爾蒙皮質醇

increases the amount of inflammation in your body,

會加劇體內的發炎反應，

meaning more red bumps on your face, 表達脈絡

也就是讓臉上出現更多紅腫突起，

and can also suppress your immune system,

還會抑制免疫系統，

meaning your body can't fight the bacteria

使身體無法對抗

that's causing the acne.

引發痤瘡的細菌。

So, how do we fight the war on pimples? 慣用語

那麼，我們該怎麼打贏這場「抗痘戰」呢？

For normal breakouts,

對於一般的爆痘，

cleaning your face to remove excess oil,

清潔臉部、去除多餘油脂，

which prevents pore blockage,

可以避免毛孔阻塞；

and occasionally exfoliating to remove dead skin

偶爾去角質、清除死皮，

will help.

也會有所幫助。

Although acne often cannot be solved this way,

不過，痤瘡通常無法用這種方式解決，

and it's important to remember

而且務必要記住，

that cleanliness and diet

清潔程度和飲食

do not play a major role in acne, 片語搭配

並不是影響痤瘡的主要因素，

but rather your genetics and hormones. 表達脈絡

真正的主因是遺傳和荷爾蒙。

Many drugs exist like benzoyl peroxide,

可用的藥物有很多，例如過氧化苯甲醯，

which kills specific acne-causing bacteria,

能殺死特定的致痘細菌；

salicylic acid,

水楊酸，

which helps to remove dead skin blockages,

有助於清除死皮造成的阻塞；

retinoids, which reduce sebum production,

A酸類藥物，能減少皮脂分泌；

and a variety of others.

以及其他各種藥物。

Though some drugs can have severe side effects.

不過，有些藥物可能會造成嚴重副作用。

In women, some success has been seen 用詞

對女性而言，

with oral contraceptives, 用詞

口服避孕藥已顯示出一定成效，

which decrease the ovaries production

因為它能減少卵巢

of androgen hormones,

產生的雄性荷爾蒙，

ultimately decreasing sebum.

最終降低皮脂分泌。

Of course,

當然，

consulting with a doctor

諮詢醫師，

over which regimen is best suited to you 片語搭配

確認哪種治療方式最適合你，

is always best.

永遠是最好的選擇。

But new therapies and cures may be on the horizon 慣用語

不過，新的療法和根治方法或許已露出曙光，

with the help of science.

而這得靠科學的協助。

By studying individuals who do not get acne, 文法

透過研究那些不會長痤瘡的人，

scientists noticed something.

科學家注意到一件事。

The bacteria that typically causes acne

通常會造成痤瘡的細菌

still exists on their skin,

依然存在於他們的皮膚上，

but it's a different strain. 用詞

但菌株不同。

It turns out that this same bacteria 表達脈絡

原來，同一種細菌

with slightly different genes

只要基因略有不同，

causes healthier skin.

反而能讓皮膚更健康。

Knowing this, 表達脈絡

知道這一點後，

future therapies may include a deeper look 片語搭配

未來的療法或許會更深入研究

at the bacterial level

細菌層面的問題，

and whether or not altering your skin microbiota 講解

並探討改變皮膚微生物群

could cure pimples.

是否能治好痘痘。

We're really glad to be working in collaboration 片語搭配

我們真的非常高興能

with Bill and Melinda Gates

與比爾・蓋茲和梅琳達・蓋茲合作，

in supporting their annual letter this year

支持他們今年的年度公開信，

called Two Superpowers We Wish We Had.

題為《我們希望擁有的兩種超能力》。

Every year they release a letter

他們每年都會發表一封公開信，

looking at global issues,

探討全球議題，

and this year the question is,

而今年的問題是：

what would your superpower for good be? 用詞

你希望擁有哪一種造福他人的超能力？

Would it be to have more clean energy like Bill 文法

你會像比爾一樣，希望擁有更多潔淨能源，

or more time like Melinda,

還是像梅琳達一樣，希望擁有更多時間？

which means one thing in rich countries 表達脈絡

「更多時間」在富裕國家是一回事，

and something else to the world's poorest families?

對全球最貧困的家庭來說卻是另一回事。

It's a chance to enact positive change in the world. 片語搭配

這是一個推動世界正向改變的機會。

So, find something you're passionate about

所以，找一件你真正熱愛的事，

and learn more about it.

再深入了解它吧。

You can check out the letter

你可以閱讀這封公開信，

with the link in the description,

連結就在影片說明欄中；

and we'll be posting our superpower ideas

我們也會分享自己的超能力構想，

on our Instagram

貼到我們的 Instagram 上，

with the hashtag superpower for good.

並加上「#superpowerforgood」主題標籤。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也請訂閱我們的頻道，每週收看更多科學影片。