How to Get Rid Of Acne – Types of Acne?

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 at 5:38 pm

How to Get Rid of Acne

Types of Acne

Acne is usually referred to as a general term where an individual has a lot of pimples on the face. But, the exact definition of acne according to dermatologists is the acute but repeated inflammation of the skin and the pores caused by excess production of oil and a buildup of bacteria on the pores. Acne has always been a common and generic term but many people do not know that there are different types of acne, and it is important to be familiar with them in order to know how to get rid of acne effectively.

There are non-inflammatory types of acne particularly that comprising of whiteheads and blackheads. Contrary to the popular belief, whiteheads are more severe than blackheads since the former is indicative that the pore has been completely occluded hindering the release of the oil produced from the sebaceous glands hence the appearance of the white spot . Some dermatologists suggest that whiteheads are not caused by dead skin cell and bacterial plug, but rather it is due to a pore that is too narrow.

On the other hand, blackheads are indicative of the pores being blocked only partially thus allowing air to pass through it. The color is not due to dirt but instead the natural pigment of the skin known as melanin which reacts to the surrounding air causing a change in its color. It is said that this type of acne is the one caused by a plug on the pores since it is quite stable and needs a longer time to be cleared than whiteheads.

Let us proceed to the inflammatory types of acne, but focusing on those which are only moderate in nature exemplified by papules and pustules. Papules are described as red bumps that appear inflamed and are tender upon touching but are not yet elevated from the skin. While pustules are similar to the former except that the red spot usually has a white or yellow color in the middle, and is elevated about 1 or 2 millimeters from the skin. It must be emphasized that these skin lesions should not be squeezed or popped as much as possible in order to prevent scarring or possible infection from the open pores.

The more severe types of acne are nodular acne and acne cysts. Technically they are categorized under grade III and grade IV respectively. The negative side of having these types of acne are that they are very much likely to cause recurrence or repeat bouts of acne. Also, since both of these types are relatively larger in diameter and more elevated, they cause long term damage to the skin since upon rupture the superficial layer of the skin is removed creating a portal of entry for the skin to become infected by bacteria. Hence, professional advice from the doctor is needed when treating this kind of acne.

It is important to know the different types of acne since it would guide the health care provider as well as yourself in learning how to get rid of acne appropriate to the severity of the acne that one has.