Acne Articles

Acne is a common disorder where the pores and hair follicles become agitated and inflamed, leading to cosmetic marks that appear on the face and body. These blemishes can take many forms including pimples, cysts, abscesses, black heads, and in worse cases even permanent scars. Acne most commonly happens in both women and men during the teenage period called as puberty. This is when the human body begins to undergo big hormonal changes as a result of building a mature, adult body that is capable of sexual reproduction. Acne often affects teenage boys, but it is not limited to just them. Acne can affect both men and women of all ages; sometimes throughout their entire adult lives. This is less common but definitely not irregular.

Pustules are discolored sores that are filled with pus and have a whitish or yellowish color. Whiteheads and blackheads develop from pustules. They are round sores that have become inflamed because of agitated sebaceous glands. The human body has thousands of sebaceous glands that produce an oil-like chemical known as sebum. Infection and irritation can develop when the body manufactures an excess of sebum. Cysts are bigger pus filled sores that can be seen on the surface but are in reality embedded within the epidermis. Because of the size and depth of the inflammation, cysts are often very unpleasant and can be as big as an inch across the infected area. They form as a result of the contents of a comedo spreading across the infected area and the bodies defense mechanism of producing pus to reduce these aspects. Permanent scarring can result from cysts. Blemishes that appear more obviously on the skin are called inflammatory acne. Inflammatory acne can mostly be seen on the face, but can develop on a variety of other spots on the body such as the legs, chest, upper arms, back, shoulders, neck, and scalp. The pimple is the most obvious form of acne observed. A pimple is when a pore or hair follicle becomes irritated and develops small red sores on the skin surface. This is usually the end result of a number of symptoms that are visible before the actual sore is fully developed. These signs include open comedos, closed comedos, cysts, and pustules. Open comedos are clogged pores that have a darker hue with an open end at the top of the skin. They are most often found on the nose, but can also be observed on the cheeks and forehead also. Closed comedos are slightly different in that they don't have an open ended pore. They are marks that seem to be bulged out from under the skin. Whiteheads will commonly turn into pustules if left alone for a few days. If the pimples are squeezed or popped, they will often become more infected and could become scarred. So it is a great idea to leave the whiteheads alone. People with whiteheads should instead use a gently exfoliating cleanser, such as Proactiv solution or Noxema.

There are two major types of acne blemishes; non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne. Open comedos and closed comedos are the two major kinds of non-inflammatory acne. A closed comedo is otherwise known as a whitehead and develops on the skin surface as a small whitish or yellowish bump. An open comedo is otherwise called a blackhead. It is dark in appearance but, despite common belief, is not a build-up of dirt. It is in reality a build-up of melanin, a substance that makes up the color of the skin surface. Using a gently exfoliating cleanser with anti-inflammatory aspects like Proactiv or another moisturizing product that has aloe vera can minimize blackheads and whiteheads.

Whatever kind of zits there is, there is an efficient treatment that is out there and available.Greater knowledge of the various kinds of acne will give the acne sufferer a more in-depth idea of what the most effective form of treatment will be. Remember, an acne problemdoesn’t have to make you suffer all your life. With a little research and time everyone can find the treatment that is correct for them.