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Acne is Not the Same as Spots
There are quite a few different forms of acne, depending on how or why the acne arose. 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 may be (defined|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 usually found in white Western teenagers, although it is to be found in every country in the world, so there may be a genetic weakness to it. It is possible that it could be an exceptional reaction to fairly normal 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 usually appears on the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot does not constitute acne.
Acne vulgaris manifests itself in different many forms, including: whiteheads, caused by pores that are completely blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white spot on the surface; blackheads, caused by 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 bumps with no head and pustules, which are similar to whiteheads, but are inflamed, and look like red circles with a white or yellow centre.
Whiteheads do not usually last long; blackheads do last a long time and pustules are what people call spots. Severe acne vulgaris is characterized by nodules and cysts. A 'nodule' is a much larger and more painful kind of pustule and can sometimes last for months. Nodules are large, hard bumps under the skin's surface. They frequently result in scarring and should never be squeezed, which could cause them to last for months longer still.
A 'cyst' may appear similar to a nodule, but it is full of pus and has been described as having a diameter of at least 5mm and, again, can cause scars and cause pain. Squeezing an acne cyst may cause a deeper infection and more painful inflammation which can last very much longer than if it had not been squeezed. Dermatologists have ways of reducing the swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is a myth that acne sufferers are not careful about cleanliness.
In fact, over washing can irritate acne. There are many, many false 'treatments' on the market and many, many old wives' remedies, but any good skin expert would advise you that there is no known cure for acne and that the patient should follow a strict regimen of cleaning until the acne just 'disappears' of its own accord.
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