Acne Does Not Equal Zits
There are several different kinds of acne, depending on how or why the acne started. Some of the kinds 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 take a closer look at acne vulgaris.
Acne vulgaris could be (defined|described 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 is to be found in every country in the world, so there may be a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible that it could be an exceptional reaction to quite normal levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, outbreaks of acne last only until the age of twenty or so, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it can be a life-long affliction. It most often appears on the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot is not the same as acne.
Acne vulgaris manifests itself in different many ways, including: whiteheads, caused by pores which are completely blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white spot 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 caused by 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 look like red circles with a white or yellow centre.
Whiteheads do not usually last for a long time; blackheads do last a long time and pustules are what people usually refer to as spots or zits. Severe acne vulgaris is characterized by nodules and cysts. A 'nodule' is a rather larger and much more painful sort of pustule and can often last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps just under the skin. They often result in scarring and should never for any reason be squeezed, since this could make them last for months longer.
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 pain. Squeezing an acne cyst can cause a more severe infection and more acute inflammation which may last quite a lot longer than if it had not been squeezed. Dermatologists have ways of lessening the swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just not true that acne sufferers are not meticulous about washing.
Indeed, it is a little-known fact that, excessive washing can irritate acne. There are many, many fake 'cures' in the shops and many, many old wives' tales. However, any honest dermatologist would advise you that there is no sure-fire cure for acne and that the sufferer should follow a religious regimen of cleaning until the acne eventually 'goes away' of its own accord. - 17269
Acne vulgaris could be (defined|described 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 is to be found in every country in the world, so there may be a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible that it could be an exceptional reaction to quite normal levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, outbreaks of acne last only until the age of twenty or so, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it can be a life-long affliction. It most often appears on the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot is not the same as acne.
Acne vulgaris manifests itself in different many ways, including: whiteheads, caused by pores which are completely blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white spot 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 caused by 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 look like red circles with a white or yellow centre.
Whiteheads do not usually last for a long time; blackheads do last a long time and pustules are what people usually refer to as spots or zits. Severe acne vulgaris is characterized by nodules and cysts. A 'nodule' is a rather larger and much more painful sort of pustule and can often last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps just under the skin. They often result in scarring and should never for any reason be squeezed, since this could make them last for months longer.
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 pain. Squeezing an acne cyst can cause a more severe infection and more acute inflammation which may last quite a lot longer than if it had not been squeezed. Dermatologists have ways of lessening the swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just not true that acne sufferers are not meticulous about washing.
Indeed, it is a little-known fact that, excessive washing can irritate acne. There are many, many fake 'cures' in the shops and many, many old wives' tales. However, any honest dermatologist would advise you that there is no sure-fire cure for acne and that the sufferer should follow a religious regimen of cleaning until the acne eventually 'goes away' of its own accord. - 17269
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Are you having trouble treating acne and pimples? If you are or you'd like to know more about acne, please visit our website entitled Treating Acne Scars
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