There are several different forms of acne, depending on how or why the acne developed. Some of the forms 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 can be defined 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’ (according to Wikipedia).

Acne is most common in white Western teenagers, although it does occur in every country in the world, so there could be a genetic weakness to it. It is possible that it could be an exceptional reaction to quite average levels of testosterone. For most sufferers, outbreaks of acne last only until adulthood, probably only a few years or at the most ten. For other people, however, it may be a life-long problem. It usually affects the face, upper-chest, upper-arms and back. However, an occasional spot does not constitute acne.

Acne vulgaris appears in various ways, which include: whiteheads, resulting from pores that are totally blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells, causing a white appearance on the surface; 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 caused by 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 long; blackheads can 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’ can look like 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 can cause a deeper infection and more painful inflammation which may last very much longer than if it had not been squeezed. Dermatologists have methods of reducing the swelling and preventing scarring with both nodules and cysts. It is a myth that acne sufferers are not meticulous about cleanliness.

In fact, excessive washing can exacerbate acne. There are many, many useless ‘cures’ on the market and many, many old wives’ remedies, but any good skin expert would tell you that there is no known cure for acne and that the patient should follow a deliberate regimen of cleansing until the acne just ‘disappears’ of its own accord.

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Adolescence is the usual age group attacked with a skin condition called acne. Generally, acne is often synonymous to pimples but skin acne is actually a condition that also includes blackheads and whiteheads. Pimples which have pus inside are also different from the cyst like formation on the skin.

When you have an acne problem on your face, especially for teenagers and young adults, the reflex is to hide from the crowd. There are numerous cases where people lose their self-confidence merely because of this skin problem especially when the irritation has gone from mild to severe. Although certain types of foods are not attributed to acne, most will tell you that it is hereditary while most are simply caused by bad hygiene.

Developing a good hygiene is one major thing you can do in order to prevent acne. Using sunscreens and foundations can also prevent the formation of skin problems. As an adolescent, you should already be using some mild cleansers for your face to clean excess oil, sweat and dirt. A lot of soap and facial creams are available depending on your skin type.

When you already have acne, you can continue using the mild cleansers and moisturizing agents on your skin. You can also use concealers and foundations to cover the blemishes and pimples. Remember that before putting anything on your face, you must check the ingredients or contents of the cleanser or foundation because you might develop skin allergies with certain chemicals. For any acne skin care products, there are always limitations. Different skins react differently to one cream or medication.

If it is still on the mild stages, creams and lotions can be applied on the affected areas. These can be bought over the counter or without prescription. But if you realize that it doesn’t do any good on your skin after weeks of usage, you better check with your doctor so he or she can recommend the best oral treatment or antibiotics for you. Antibiotics that have salicylic and sulfur content will most likely work well for your acne problem.

However, there are severe cases wherein these topical and antibiotic treatments are no longer applicable. There are oral medications recommended by doctors but this usually means a long term treatment. These treatments manage to control oil production and skin inflammation that causes obvious skin damage.

If you are too irritated with skin acne, you may be tempted to touch it often. Picking and popping pimples will only cause more damage to your skin. The acne skin care that you have been doing will simply be futile if you do not behave properly.

Although regular cleansing is not an infallible acne skin care treatment, having good hygiene will definitely be better for your skin.

You can find many acne remedies you can try if you want to learn how to get rid of blackheads.