Anti Aging Skin Care » Acne Skin Care » Different Types of Acne

Different Types of Acne

Though the pimples form the same way, they often take on different shapes and characteristics and react differently on different people. Different types of acne with there symptoms and cures are given here. Acne is formed when a hair follicle becomes blocked and so-called comedo is formed. As the follicle gets blocked with more oil, the comedo becomes larger inflaming the skin around the area and forming what we know of, as a pimple. There are numerous types of acne each requiring different methods of treatment.

• Non-inflammatory acne :
  It frequently takes the form of a closed comedo or whitehead. This develops when the plugged hair follicle stays beneath the surface of the skin and appears on the skin as a small whitish bump.
• An open comedo or blackhead :
  It occurs when the plug enlarges and pushes through the surface of the skin. Its dark appearance is not due to dirt but due to the formation of the dark pigment of the skin called melanin. Blackheads are a type of inflammatory acne.
• Papule :
  The mildest form of inflammatory acne is a papule. A small firm pink bump appearing on the surface of the skin. These bumps can be gentle to the touch and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne.
• Pustules :
  Pustules are similar to papules, as they are small round lesions. Unlike papules, pustules are clearly swollen and visibly contain pus. They usually appear red at the base while in the centre they appear yellowish or whitish. Pustules do not normally contain a great deal of bacteria but are inflamed due to chemical irritation from sebum components.
• Nodular or cystic acne :
  Nodular acne is generally very painful. Nodules are swollen pus-filled lesions lodged deep within the skin. They develop when the content of a comedo has spilled into the surrounding skin and immune system responds producing pus. The most severe form of this type of acne may continue for weeks or even months eventually hardening into a cyst. Both nodules and cysts often leave deep scars.
• Acne conglobata :
  It is a rare form of inflammatory acne that forms primarily on the back, buttocks and chest. It is characterized by pustules and nodules and severe bacterial infection may develop.
• Acne cosmetica :
  This is a relatively mild form of acne caused from topical cosmetic products. It appears as small pink bump and local inflammation on the cheek, chin and forehead. It may develop over the duration of a few weeks or months but usually does not cause scarring. Since it can persist for an indefinite period, it is important to find out which topical products are causing the problem and eliminate their use.

Therefore, it is important to know which type of acne you are suffering from, so that a suitable treatment can be found. Before you can resolve the problem, you must know its origin.