There are various kinds of acne, named according to how or why the acne developed. Some of the forms of acne are: acne conglobata (chronic boils); acne fulminans (an extreme form of conglobata); acne cosmetica (caused by cosmetics); acne keloidalis nuchae (from shaving); acne medicamentosa (caused by starting or stopping a medication); acne rosacea (redness on the face); baby acne; hormonal acne; cloracne and the common variety, acne vulgaris (also known as 'puberty spots'). In this article, we will concentrate on acne vulgaris.
Acne vulgaris can be defined as: 'an inflammatory disease of the skin, caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland). Acne lesions are commonly referred to as pimples, spots or zits' (see article on "Acne" in Wikipedia).
Acne is most common in white Western teens, although it does occur in every country in the world, so there could be a genetic weakness to it. It is possible that it may be an exceptional reaction to quite normal levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, the condition lasts only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it can be a life-long problem. It usually affects the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot is not the same as acne.
Acne vulgaris shows itself in different many forms, including: whiteheads, resulting from pores that are completely blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white appearance on the top; blackheads, resulting from pores which are only partially blocked, allowing some of the trapped sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to slowly drain to the surface (the black colour is not a result of dirt, but is a reaction of the skin's own pigment, called melanin, with the oxygen in the air); papules, which are inflamed, red, tender bumps with no head and pustules, which are similar to whiteheads, but are inflamed, and appear as red circles with a white or yellow centre.
Whiteheads do not often last long; blackheads do last a long time and pustules are what people call spots. Severe acne vulgaris is characterized by nodules and cysts. A 'nodule' is a much larger and more painful type of pustule and can often last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps under the skin's surface. They frequently cause scarring and should never be squeezed, which could cause them to last for months longer still.
A 'cyst' can appear similar to a nodule, but it is full of pus and has been described as having a diameter of at least 5mm and, again, can leave scars and cause irritation. Squeezing an acne cyst may cause a more severe infection and more acute inflammation which will last quite a bit longer than if it had not been squeezed. Dermatologists have methods of lessening the swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just a myth that acne sufferers are not careful about washing.
Indeed, it is a little-known fact that, over washing can irritate acne. There are many, many fake 'cures' in the shops and many, many old wives' tales. However, any honest dermatologist would tell you that there is no sure-fire cure for acne and that the sufferer has to follow a religious regimen of cleaning until the acne just 'goes away' on its own.
Acne vulgaris can be defined as: 'an inflammatory disease of the skin, caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland). Acne lesions are commonly referred to as pimples, spots or zits' (see article on "Acne" in Wikipedia).
Acne is most common in white Western teens, although it does occur in every country in the world, so there could be a genetic weakness to it. It is possible that it may be an exceptional reaction to quite normal levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, the condition lasts only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it can be a life-long problem. It usually affects the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot is not the same as acne.
Acne vulgaris shows itself in different many forms, including: whiteheads, resulting from pores that are completely blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white appearance on the top; blackheads, resulting from pores which are only partially blocked, allowing some of the trapped sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to slowly drain to the surface (the black colour is not a result of dirt, but is a reaction of the skin's own pigment, called melanin, with the oxygen in the air); papules, which are inflamed, red, tender bumps with no head and pustules, which are similar to whiteheads, but are inflamed, and appear as red circles with a white or yellow centre.
Whiteheads do not often last long; blackheads do last a long time and pustules are what people call spots. Severe acne vulgaris is characterized by nodules and cysts. A 'nodule' is a much larger and more painful type of pustule and can often last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps under the skin's surface. They frequently cause scarring and should never be squeezed, which could cause them to last for months longer still.
A 'cyst' can appear similar to a nodule, but it is full of pus and has been described as having a diameter of at least 5mm and, again, can leave scars and cause irritation. Squeezing an acne cyst may cause a more severe infection and more acute inflammation which will last quite a bit longer than if it had not been squeezed. Dermatologists have methods of lessening the swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just a myth that acne sufferers are not careful about washing.
Indeed, it is a little-known fact that, over washing can irritate acne. There are many, many fake 'cures' in the shops and many, many old wives' tales. However, any honest dermatologist would tell you that there is no sure-fire cure for acne and that the sufferer has to follow a religious regimen of cleaning until the acne just 'goes away' on its own.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on several subjects, but is at present involved with Acne Treatment During Pregnancy. If you are interested in acne, please go over to our website now at Treating Acne Scars
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