There are various types of acne, named according to 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 take a closer look at acne vulgaris.
Acne vulgaris can 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’ (from Wikipedia).
Acne is most common in white 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 exceptional reaction to quite average levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, outbreaks of acne last only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it can be a life-long problem. It most often 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 surface; 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 usually last long; blackheads do last a long time and pustules are what people call spots. Severe acne vulgaris is distinguished 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 often result in 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 described 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 lessening swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is a myth that acne sufferers are not careful about washing.
Indeed, it is a little-known fact that, over washing can exacerbate acne. There are many, many false ‘cures’ in the shops and many, many old wives’ remedies. However, any good skin expert would advise you that there is no sure-fire cure for acne and that the patient has to follow a deliberate regimen of cleansing until the acne just ‘disappears’ of its own accord.
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