Acne Is Not Spots

There are several different forms of acne, depending on how or why the acne arose. 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 (better known as 'puberty spots'). 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 common in white Western teenagers, 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 afflicted, 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 usually appears on the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot does not constitute acne.

Acne vulgaris appears in various ways, which include: whiteheads, resulting from pores that are totally 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 like 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 call spots or zits. 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 bumps just under the skin's surface. They frequently result in scarring and should never for any reason be squeezed, since this could cause them to last for months longer.

A 'cyst' may 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 cause 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 cleanliness.

Indeed, it is a little-known fact that, excessive washing can irritate acne. There are many, many useless 'treatments' in the shops and many, many old wives' tales. However, any good skin expert would advise you that there is no sure-fire remedy for acne and that the patient should follow a religious regimen of cleansing until the acne just 'disappears' on its own.

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