Acne is a chronic skin disorder that affects nearly 80 % of the world's population. Nearly every second person on this earth has confronted with acne at some or the other time. Still, treating acne is something very hard for many of us.
Have you ever pondered over why it is so? Why treating acne has been such a task for us? The answer to these questions is one: Our lacking knowledge on what is acne and how to treat it. To treat acne successfully we need to know about various facts about acne and its types. Different types of acne are treated differently, so here goes your guide on facts and types of acne.
When over activity of sebaceous glands (oil producing glands) in our skin, produces excess oil or sebum, and meets with the acne producing bacteria and hair follicles, a right shelter for acne is created.
This skin activity can happen on any of your body parts thus you find acne on your face, neck, back and arms also. The other names of acne are pimples and zits.
You can get acne at different stages of your life, but mostly in the teen age. However acne in adults and infants is also not uncommon.
Your acne could be inflammatory or non inflammatory. That is they may or may not be painful. But they are always embarrassing. They not only alter your physical appearance but can profoundly affect your mental state as well. They can change your outlook towards life and bring in loss of confidence and negativity.
Thus acne requires immediate medical attention. But before going for treatment, you should have proper knowledge about your acne type. Your treatment will depend a lot on the type of acne you have.
Following are the types of mild and moderate acne:
Whiteheads: When oil or sebum gets trapped in a pore, white appearances might result on the surface of the skin, these are known as whiteheads.
Blackheads: Here, the oil or sebum is partially blocked, so the oil can slip through. The black color is due to the pigmentation of the skin and not because of any dirt. Among the two, blackheads are quite stubborn and take time to clear off.
Papules: They are the tender headless bumps.
Pustules: These are the inflamed whiteheads with a red surrounding and white or yellow nucleus.
Now, let us move towards the severe type of acne, they are the nodules and cysts. They are often painful and can produce scarring as well:
Nodules: Nodules are larger bumps and can cause scarring and pain. It is strictly advised not to pierce a nodule as it can severely damage your skin. Also, it takes some time to heal up.
Cysts: All the features of cysts are similar to those of nodules except for the fact that they are a little larger in size and often have pus in them.
You can treat mild acne at home, or with the help of over the counter medications but for severe acne, always meet a dermatologist. The severe acne condition can worsen further if not dealt with correctly. It is also advisable to take prescribed course of medication for mild acne as well.
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