There are several different forms of acne, depending on 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 concentrate on 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' (see article on "Acne" in Wikipedia).
Acne is most often found in white Western teens, although it does occur in every country in the world, so there may be a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible that it may be an exceptional reaction to quite average levels of testosterone. For most afflicted, outbreaks of acne last only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it may be a life-long affliction. It usually affects 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, resulting in a white appearance 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 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 lumps 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 often 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 type of pustule and can sometimes last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps 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' may look like 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 can cause a deeper infection and more painful inflammation which may last very much 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 a myth that acne sufferers are not careful about washing.
In fact, over washing can irritate acne. There are many, many false 'treatments' on the market and many, many old wives' tales. However, any good dermatologist would advise you that there is no sure-fire remedy for acne and that the sufferer should follow a strict regimen of cleaning until the acne just 'goes away' on its own. - 14130
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' (see article on "Acne" in Wikipedia).
Acne is most often found in white Western teens, although it does occur in every country in the world, so there may be a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible that it may be an exceptional reaction to quite average levels of testosterone. For most afflicted, outbreaks of acne last only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it may be a life-long affliction. It usually affects 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, resulting in a white appearance 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 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 lumps 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 often 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 type of pustule and can sometimes last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps 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' may look like 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 can cause a deeper infection and more painful inflammation which may last very much 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 a myth that acne sufferers are not careful about washing.
In fact, over washing can irritate acne. There are many, many false 'treatments' on the market and many, many old wives' tales. However, any good dermatologist would advise you that there is no sure-fire remedy for acne and that the sufferer should follow a strict regimen of cleaning until the acne just 'goes away' on its own. - 14130
About the Author:
Are you having trouble treating acne? If you are or you'd like to know more about acne, please go to our website called http://treating-acne-scars.com
No comments:
Post a Comment