Types of Acne
Acne may be a common,
widespread skin condition, but the manner in which it manifests on different
people is anything but typical.
Acne outbreaks can range from mild, barely noticeable imperfections on one’s
face to full-blown fields of lesions all over one’s body.
All acne afflictions arise from the same general conditions – an
interaction between bacteria and the clogging of hair follicles or skin
pores – but different immune and chemical responses can greatly vary the
severity and the appearance of the symptoms.
It would really help for you to be aware of the different types of
acne that can arise, for two reasons:
so that you may readily identify these occurrences as acne before
considering other, more serious conditions, and so that you can make
yourself aware of the proper treatment program specific to each type.
Acne generally
manifests as either non-inflammatory, which is less serious and can be
eradicated with regular maintenance, and inflammatory, which is more
pronounced and could require professional medical attention.
Non-inflammatory acne
comes in two varieties:
whiteheads, or closed comedo lesions, and blackheads, or open comedo
lesions. Whiteheads are acne
lesions that occur when a plugged hair follicle remains below the skin’s
surface, resulting in small, whitish bumps that can be excised through
various exfoliation methods.
Blackheads, on the other hand, occur when the obstruction becomes larger,
pushing through the surface of the skin.
The dark color of the blackhead is not dirt, but rather, an
accumulation of melanin, which is responsible for variations in skin
pigmentation.
Midway between the
non-inflammatory and inflammatory types, though leaning more towards the
latter, are papules, small, firm, pink bumps on the skin that may be
sensitive to touch. Physicians
often consider papules to be at the intermediary stage, possibly heralding
more potent forms of acne.
Pustules appear as
small, round lesions that can be observed to contain pus.
They are reddish closer to the skin, and appear more white or yellow
at the center, indicative of their fluid content.
In spite of their loathsome appearance, pustules are not overflowing
with bacteria. The inflammation
stems from an adverse reaction to chemical irritation from fatty free acids
and other components of the clogged skin oil.
One of the more
serious forms of acne, nodules are large acne lesions that are often quite
uncomfortable, if not painful, and are lodged deep in the skin.
These develop due to the spilling of the contents of whiteheads or
blackheads into the surrounding skin, causing one’s immune system to respond
by producing pus. Nodules may
last for weeks or months, and eventually develop into cysts.
Considered the most severe form of acne, nodules and cysts often
leave heavy, disfiguring scars, especially if they are not treated
immediately. In particular,
cysts affect deeper skin tissue regions than the lesser acne types.
A rare form of acne
called acne conglobata appears as a series of dark burrowing and
interconnecting abscesses and scars, causing more pronounced damage.
The nodules and cysts contain foul-smelling material that tends to
return even after the abscesses have been drained.
Acne conglobata develops from milder forms of acne that have rapidly
deteriorated, or that have remained dormant for many years, only to suddenly
resurface.
Return to Acne Treatment Guide Main Page