Acne is Not Spots
There are quite a few different kinds of acne, depending on 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 could 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' (according to Wikipedia).
Acne is most often found in Western teenagers, 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 fairly average levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, the condition lasts only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at most ten. For others, however, it can be a life-long recurring problem. It usually affects the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot is not the same as acne.
Acne vulgaris manifests itself in 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, caused by 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, 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 often last for a long time; blackheads can last a long time and pustules are what people call spots or zits. Severe acne vulgaris is distinguished 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 lumps just under the skin's surface. They frequently cause scarring and should never for any reason be squeezed, since this could cause them to last for months longer.
A 'cyst' can look similar to a nodule, but it is full of pus and has been defined as having a diameter of at least 5mm and, again, can leave scars and cause pain. Squeezing an acne cyst may 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 reducing the swelling and avoiding scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just a myth that acne sufferers are not meticulous about washing.
In fact, excessive washing can irritate acne. There are many, many useless 'treatments' on the market and many, many old wives' tales, but any good dermatologist would advise you that there is no known cure for acne and that the patient should follow a strict regimen of cleansing until the acne just 'goes away' of its own accord. - 17269
Acne vulgaris could 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' (according to Wikipedia).
Acne is most often found in Western teenagers, 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 fairly average levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, the condition lasts only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at most ten. For others, however, it can be a life-long recurring problem. It usually affects the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot is not the same as acne.
Acne vulgaris manifests itself in 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, caused by 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, 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 often last for a long time; blackheads can last a long time and pustules are what people call spots or zits. Severe acne vulgaris is distinguished 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 lumps just under the skin's surface. They frequently cause scarring and should never for any reason be squeezed, since this could cause them to last for months longer.
A 'cyst' can look similar to a nodule, but it is full of pus and has been defined as having a diameter of at least 5mm and, again, can leave scars and cause pain. Squeezing an acne cyst may 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 reducing the swelling and avoiding scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just a myth that acne sufferers are not meticulous about washing.
In fact, excessive washing can irritate acne. There are many, many useless 'treatments' on the market and many, many old wives' tales, but any good dermatologist would advise you that there is no known cure for acne and that the patient should follow a strict regimen of cleansing until the acne just 'goes away' of its own accord. - 17269
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