Acne Articles

Acne is a disorder of the skin where the hair follicles and pores become agitated and inflamed, leading to cosmetic imperfections that appear on the skin surface. These blemishes can take many forms including pimples, cysts, abscesses, black heads, and in worse cases even permanent scars. Acne most often occurs in both women and men during the adolescent period known as puberty. This is when the human body begins to have obvious changes in hormone levels as a result of building a grown-up, adult body capable of sexual reproduction. Acne often affects male teenagers, but it is not limited to just them. Acne can affect both men and women of all ages; sometimes all the way through their complete lives. This is less common but without a doubt not uncommon.

Inflammatory pimples are the more visible of the two kinds regarding skin appearance. Inflammatory acne can mostly be seen on the face, but can develop on a number of other spots on the body like the legs, chest, upper arms, back, shoulders, neck, and scalp. The zit is the most obvious form of acne observed. This is when a pore or hair follicle becomes agitated and forms tiny red spots on the skin surface. Before the sore is fully formed there are symptoms that can be seen. These signs include blackheads, closed comedos, cysts, and pustules. Open comedos are clogged pores that have a darker appearance with an open end at the surface of the epidermis. They are more often than not found on the nose, but can also be observed on the cheeks and forehead as well. Closed comedos are slightly different in that they don't have an open ended pore. They are splotches that seem to be bulging out from beneath the skin. If not agitated for a few days whiteheads will turn into pustules. If the zits are squeezed or popped, they will commonly become more infected and could become permanently scarred. So it is an excellent idea to leave the closed comedos alone. People with whiteheads would be better off using a gently exfoliating cleanser, such as Proactiv solution or Neutrogena.

There are two major types of zits; non-inflammatory acne and inflammatory acne. The non-inflammatory category is divided into two categories; closed comedo and open comedo. A closed comedo is also called a whitehead and appears on the skin surface as a tiny white or yellow spot. The open comedo is also called a blackhead. It can be dark when seen but, contrary to popular belief, is not a surplus of dirt. It is actually an excess of melanin, a substance that makes up the hue of the skin. Blackheads and open comedos can be minimized and controlled by using anti-inflammatory cleansers such as Proactive or others that have aloe vera.

Pustules are red 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 itirritated sebaceous glands. The body has lots of sebaceous glands that produce an oil-like substance called sebum. When the skin is exposed to an excess of sebum, the hair follicles and pores become irritated and infected. Cysts are bigger pus filled sores that can be seen on the surface but are actually embedded within the epidermis. Because of the size and depth of the inflammation, cysts are often very unpleasant and can be as large as an inch across the affected area. They form as a result of the contents of a comedo moving across the infected area and the bodies natural defense of producing pus to minimize these aspects. Cysts can leave deep and permanent blemishes.

Whatever kind of acne there is, there is a good treatment that is out there and available.Greater knowledge of the different kinds of acne will give the person a more in-depth idea of what the best form of treatment will be. Remember, zitsdoesn’t have to make you suffer all your life. With some research and time everyone can find the treatment that is perfect for them.