Acne Is Not Spots
There are various kinds of acne, named according to how or why the acne arose. 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 take a closer look at 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’ (see article on “Acne” in Wikipedia).
Acne is most often found in Western teens, although it does occur in every country in the world, so there could be a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible that it could be an abnormal reaction to quite 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 most often affects the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot does not constitute 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 spot 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 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 like whiteheads, but are inflamed, and appear as red circles with a white or yellow centre.
Whiteheads do not usually 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 often 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 full of pus and has been described as having a diameter of at least 5mm and, again, can cause scars and cause pain. Squeezing an acne cyst can cause a more severe infection and more acute inflammation which will last quite a bit longer than if it had not been squeezed. Skin experts have methods of lessening the swelling and avoiding scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just a myth that acne sufferers are not careful about their hygiene.
Indeed, it is a little-known fact that, excessive washing can irritate acne. There are many, many useless ‘cures’ in the shops and many, many old wives’ remedies. However, any honest skin expert would tell you that there is no sure-fire cure for acne and that the sufferer has to follow a strict regimen of cleansing until the acne eventually ‘goes away’ on its own.
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Tags: acne, advice, alternative medicine, beauty, cosmetics, health, how to, nutrition, other, pimples, self help, skin care, supplements, Uncategorized
