Acne Does Not Equal Zits
There are various types of acne, named according to how or why the acne developed. Some of the kinds 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 could 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 common in white Western teenagers, although it is to be found in every country in the world, so there may be a genetic predisposition to it. It is possible that it may be an abnormal reaction to fairly average levels of testosterone. For most afflicted, outbreaks of acne last only until the age of twenty or so, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it may be a life-long problem. It most often appears on 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, causing a white spot 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 appear as red circles with a white or yellow centre.
Whiteheads do not often last for a long time; blackheads can last a long time and pustules are what people usually refer to as spots or zits. Severe acne vulgaris is characterized by nodules and cysts. A 'nodule' is a rather larger and much more painful type of pustule and can often last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps just under the skin. They frequently cause scarring and should never for any reason be squeezed, since this could make them last for months longer.
A 'cyst' may appear similar to 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 may cause a more severe infection and more acute inflammation which may last quite a lot longer than if it had not been squeezed. Skin experts have ways of reducing the swelling and avoiding scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is just not true that acne sufferers are not careful about their hygiene.
In fact, excessive washing can exacerbate acne. There are many, many false 'treatments' on the market and many, many old wives' tales, but any good skin expert would advise you that there is no known cure for acne and that the patient should follow a religious regimen of cleaning until the acne just 'goes away' of its own accord.
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