Acne Articles

Acne is a skin disorder where the hair follicles and pores become agitated and inflamed, leading to cosmetic blemishes that appear on the skin surface. These imperfections can take many forms including pimples, cysts, abscesses, open comedos, and in worse cases even permanent scars. Acne most commonly occurs in both women and men during the teenage period known as puberty. This is when the human body begins to have major hormonal changes as a result of developing into a grown-up, adult body capable of sex. Acne most commonly afflicts teenage males, but it is not limited to just them. Acne can affect both sexes of all ages; sometimes all the way through their entire lives. This is less common but without a doubt not abnormal.

Pustules are dark sores that are filled with pus and have a whitish or yellowish color. Whiteheads and blackheads form from pustules. They are round sores that are inflamed because of itirritated sebaceous glands. The body has thousands of sebaceous glands that produce an oil-like substance called sebum. When the skin is exposed to too much 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 in reality embedded within the skin. Because of the size and depth of the inflammation, cysts are often very painful and can be as large as an inch across the affected area. They appear as a result of the contents of a comedo moving across the infected area and the bodies defense mechanism of producing pus to minimize these effects. Permanent scarring can result from cysts. Inflammatory and Non-infalammatory are the two major types of acne. The non-inflammatory category is seperated into two categories; closed comedo and open comedo. A closed comedo is otherwise known as a whitehead and appears on the skin as a small whitish or yellowish spot. An open comedo is otherwise called a blackhead. It can be dark when seen but, contrary to common belief, is not an excess of dirt. It is actually an excess of melanin, a substance that makes up the pigment of the skin surface. Using a gently exfoliating cleanser with anti-inflammatory aspects like Proactiv or another restorative product that contains aloe vera can minimize blackheads and whiteheads.

Blemishes that seem more obvious on the skin are known as inflammatory acne. Inflammatory acne can mostly be seen on the face, but can develop on a variety of other places on the body like the legs, chest, upper arms, back, shoulders, neck, and scalp. The pimple is the most obvious form of acne seen. A pimple is when a pore or hair follicle becomes irritated and develops small red spots on the skin surface. This is usually the end result of a number of signs that are observed before the actual sore is fully developed. These signs include open comedos, whiteheads, cysts, and pustules. Open comedos are clogged pores that have a darker hue with an open end at the top of the skin. The nose is the most common area that they appear but they can appear on the cheeks and forehead as well. White heads are slightly different in that they don't have a pore opening. They are marks that appear to be bulged out from under the skin. If left alone for a few days whiteheads will form into pustules. If the zits are squeezed or popped, they will commonly become more infected and could become scarred. So it is a great idea to leave the closed comedos alone. People with whiteheads would be better off using a gently exfoliating cleanser, such as Proactiv solution or Noxema.

Whatever kind of zits there is, there is a good treatment that is out there and available.More knowledge of the various kinds of acne will give the acne sufferer a fuller idea of what the most effective form of treatment will be. Remember, blemishesdoesn’t have to affect you all your life. With some research and time anybody can find the treatment that is right for them.