Acne Does Not Equal Zits
Frank Williams | September 17, 2010There are several different forms of acne, depending on how or why the acne developed. Some of the types 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 (better known as ‘puberty spots’). We will take a closer look at acne vulgaris.
Acne vulgaris may be 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’ (according to Wikipedia).
Acne is most common in white Western teenagers, although it is to be found 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, 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 may be a life-long affliction. It most often appears on the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot does not constitute acne.
Acne vulgaris appears in various forms, which include: whiteheads, caused by pores that are totally blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white appearance on the surface; 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 like whiteheads, but are inflamed, and look like red circles with a white or yellow centre.
Whiteheads do not usually last long; blackheads can 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 kind of pustule and can sometimes last for months. Nodules are large, hard lumps 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 like a nodule, but it is pus-filled, 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 deeper infection and more painful inflammation which will last very much longer than if it had been left alone. Skin experts have ways of reducing swelling and avoiding scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is a myth that acne sufferers are not meticulous about cleanliness.
In fact, over washing can irritate acne. There are many, many false ‘cures’ on the market and many, many old wives’ tales. However, any good dermatologist would tell you that there is no sure-fire remedy for acne and that the patient has to follow a religious regimen of cleaning until the acne just ‘goes away’ of its own accord.
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