Understanding the Different Types of Acne

By Pat Dee

Acne is a problem that people across the world are dealing with. In fact, millions of people have some type of acne today. Although many people seem to believe that acne is a problem that only affects teenagers, this is not true. About half of adult women are affected by acne at some point in time and about 25% of men are affected at some point in time during their adult life as well. Acne comes with different severities, depending on the person.

Everyone is affected by acne in a different way, and many people deal with depression and insecurities as well. Basically, acne is defined as the appearance of pimples, blackheads, or pustules that occur on the face, chest, back, or just about any place on the body. There are many different types of acne out there, so let's take a look at some of the common types of acne that people deal with.

Whiteheads Whiteheads are a type of acne that is caused by pores that are totally blocked. They appear to be white on the outside because the bacteria that are inside of the pore is actually taking the sebum and turning it into a fatty acid. Many times people try to pop these types of acne; however, this can be problematic, since it can spread the bacteria around, causing more acne to form.

Blackheads Another type of acne is blackheads. Blackheads are caused by pores that are only partially blocked. While many people seem to think that the black appearance of this acne is from dirt, it is actually pigment that comes from the skin cells that are dead that make them appear this way.

Nodules Nodules are a more severe type of acne and they usually appear as very large bumps that are hard and underneath the surface of the skin.

Papules Papules are spots or bumps that are tender, small, and often red. They are pretty much the precursor to full blown pimples.

Pustules The pustules are much like the papules, but they are a bit larger. They are red and usually they are inflamed and filled with pus. This is what is known as a pimple and they can be quite painful as well.

Cysts This is the worst type of acne that you can have. They are quite similar to the nodules. However, often they are a bit bigger and the infection and inflammation can go very deep into the skin. This is a very painful type of acne that can really be scarring as well.

Acne Rosacea A skin problem that is very close to acne is acne rosacea, although it is not actually the same thing as regular acne is. However, it often does display some similar characteristics. It comes with pustules, oily skin, and other traits of acne vulgaris, but there are other problems as well. People with rosacea suffer from redness and flushing of the skin as well.

The Author, Pat Dee is publisher of How To Cure Acne 7 Tips to a Acne Free Life and you can have it free by visiting her web site at Cure Acne. A blog just about Acne Skin Care Products and product reviews.

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