What is acne?
What are the types of acne?
What are the symptoms of acne?
Causes of Acne
How to treat acne?
Frequent questions
Dealing with acne is a common and often challenging part of many people’s lives. While successfully managing active breakouts is a victory in itself, the aftermath in the form of acne scars can create a new set of concerns. We’ve come up with a comprehensive guide that looks at the types of acne and how to treat them. Find out more about what acne is, what are the types of acne, what are the symptoms of acne, the causes of acne and how to treat acne.
What is acne?
Acne is a common problem that we all face in our daily life. It not only affects our personality but also has a significant effect on our self-confidence. Many people experience low self-confidence due to acne-prone skin. The condition known as acne results from a build-up of dead skin cells and oil in your hair follicles. Acne, pimples and blackheads are caused by it. People of all ages can get acne, but teenagers are more likely to get it.
Different types of acne can infect our face or body, not all types of acne spread all over our skin, some may look like bumps that improve on their own.
Clogged pores are one of the main reasons for acne, here is how clogged pores affect our acne.
- This leads to excessive sebum production
- This leads to bacterial infection
- This leads to hormonal imbalance
- This leads to dead skin cells
- This leads to ingrown hairs
What are the types of acne?
Many times acne is experienced in the teenage years of our lives, the time when our hormones are fluctuating, it is important to know all the types of acne so you can tell them apart and get the right treatment. Here are some of the more common types of acne:
Black spots
Blackheads usually occur when a combination of sebum and dead skin cells clog pores. Excess sebum products can easily clog pores. If you look you will notice that the top of the pore remains open in a black spot, even though the rest is blocked, which is exactly why you can notice a characteristic black color in this type of acne.
Whiteheads
Whiteheads also commonly form when a pore becomes blocked by sebum and dead skin cells. But they are nothing like blackheads, in blackheads the top of the pore opens while in whiteheads the top of the pore closes.
Whiteheads are more difficult to treat and work with as the pore is already closed and the product being used may not be able to enter. You can use products containing salicylic acid and topical retinoids can give you a good result.
Papillomas
Papules usually appear due to extreme inflammation of your skin. This results in hard, clogged pores that are soft to the touch, but actually have a hard interior. The skin around these papules is usually pink, and they can be painful.
blisters
Pimples are a type of acne that forms when your pores break. Unlike papules, pustules are filled with pus and can be extremely painful if left untreated. These bumps come out of the skin, they are usually larger in size and red in color, they have yellow or white spots on top that are larger than the usual white spots.
Nodules
Nodules appear when blocked pores swell and become much larger in size. Unlike pustules and papules, nodules are much deeper under the skin. Nodules are much more complicated and deeper into the layers of the skin that cannot be treated at home, they require a prescription and a dermatologist to guide you better.
To treat nodules, your dermatologist will recommend medication made from a form of vitamin A. These medications will not only prevent nodules but also reduce the size of the oil glands inside the pores.
Cysts
Pimples usually develop when a combination of bacteria, sebum, and dead skin cells clog pores. If you thought treating nodules would be difficult, then cysts take the icing off the cake, cysts form even further into the skin, which makes treatment even more difficult.
They form large red or white bumps and are extremely painful to the touch. Cysts are the largest form of acne and their formation usually results from a severe infection.
Identifying the type of acne will help you get the right treatment and get rid of it.
What are the symptoms of acne?
You usually know when you have an acne breakout. It’s time to get the right treatment if you notice these symptoms on your skin:
- Whiteheads (closed pores)
- Blackheads (open clogged pores)
- Small red, tender bumps (papules)
- Pimples (pimples), which are papules with pus on their edges
- Large, firm, painful lumps under the skin (nodules)
- Painful, pus-filled lumps under the skin (cystic lesions)
Causes of Acne
Wondering what could be the causes of acne? Here you go:
- Fluctuating hormone levels
- Air pollution and certain weather conditions
- Using oily or greasy personal care products
- Stress, which increases the hormone cortisol
- Medicines
- Genetics
How to treat acne?
Acne treatment depends on the type of acne you have, sometimes acne treatment involves changing your face wash and other times you may need to take various medications and apply serums and chemicals to treat acne.
Treatment always depends on the severity of your acne, so make sure you know what kind of acne you are dealing with and choose your treatment accordingly. People with acne should keep their skin care routine minimal and not try different products unnecessarily.
Frequent questions
Which type of acne is more difficult to treat?
The most difficult acne to treat is Cystic Acne. It appears on the skin as large, red and inflamed pimples, larger than 1 cm in diameter, that are deep-seated and filled with pus.
How to get rid of acne fast?
To deal with acne quickly, it’s important to establish a consistent skin care routine. Start by cleansing your face twice a day with a gentle fragrance-free cleanser to remove excess oil and impurities. Incorporate over-the-counter topical treatments that contain ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid to target acne at its source. Resist the urge to pick or pop pimples, as this can worsen inflammation and lead to scarring. Stay hydrated and moisturize with a non-comedogenic product to maintain skin balance.
Does drinking water help acne?
Yes. studies have shown that drinking an additional 68 ounces of water daily significantly improves skin hydration. Staying well hydrated can also improve your immune system, supporting your body in fighting infections, which in turn helps prevent acne.
Take away
Whether you’re dealing with the aftermath of past breakouts or looking for preventative measures, arm yourself with knowledge about acne scar types and discover proactive steps to reclaim the skin you deserve. Your journey to skin confidence starts here.
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