What type of acne pimples do I have?

Have you ever wondered what type of acne you have and how they are formed? Before we go further, let us first discuss what acne is and what causes acne. There are two classes of acne; acute and chronic acne. Although they both present the same surface symptoms and are formed the same way, the underlining cause is different for these two classes of acne. Acute acne is caused by external factors or brief hormonal surges, while chronic acne is caused by an hormonal imbalance. In the case of acute acne, washing your sheets, pillow case, changing hair product (cause of hair line acne popular known as pomade acne) and removing any other external factors eliminates the problem. While in chronic acne, this skin disease would persist regardless of the external factors. Though external factors do worsen surface symptoms. The main culprit behind chronic acne is the androgen hormone. The androgen hormone stimulates the sebaceous gland which secretes sebum, a natural oil that moisturizes both the hair and skin. When an excessive amount of this hormone is produced, the sebaceous gland is overstimulated which leads to the excess secretion of sebum. This oily substance combines with bacteria, dirt and dead skin to clog up the pores. This creates a breeding ground for the bacteria which leads to the surface symptoms known as pimples, blackheads etc.

 In both classes, the surface symptoms are formed as a result of the clogged pores. With acute acne, a brief hormonal surge (e.g. during a menstrual period) or external factors such as greasy makeup, dirty pillows and bad habits are responsible for the occasional pimples. Hence purchasing non-comedogenic moisturizers and makeup is extremely important especially for those with acne prone skin types. Now that we understand how acne is formed, we will now discuss the various types of acnes commonly seen. There are two main categories of acne; the comedonal acne and the inflammatory acne. Although formed the same way, they have different appearances and severities.

Comedonal Acne type 

Blackhead and whiteheads fall under this category. This category possesses the mildest form of acne types and it is also both painless and non-inflammatory. The discoloration observed in blackheads is as a result of the oxidation of the melanin exposed to open air. The pores of blackheads are open, as a result the dirt, bacteria and sebum mixture are exposed to open air. It is important to note that this is the only form of acne with open pores. While in the case of whiteheads, there is a very thin layer of skin covering the pores. They are usually white in color, small and difficult to pop (this is not advised). Comedonal acnes tend to milder and leave no scars as they are not deeply ingrained into the skin. They are located close to the surface of the skin as a result the bacteria does not cause an infection or inflammation.

Inflammatory Acne type (Non-comedonal acne)

In this category, the acne is more deeply ingrained in the skin resulting in inflammation caused by the bacteria infection. There are a number of acne types that fall into this category and they are listed below:

• Papules: These appear as small red inflamed bumps
• Pustules: These are small red inflamed bumps with pus at the tip.
• Nodules: These are located deeper in the skin. They are usually hard, large and painful to the touch.
• Cysts: With this type of acne, the patient has the highest chance of acne scarring. They are large, painful pus filled lumps that can be seen under the skin.

In this category, the acne is more severe and improper care can easily lead to acne scarring or increase the severity of the acne. You should avoid areas containing these lumps during exfoliation as rubbing may push the bacteria even deeper resulting in cysts.

Regardless of the form or category, acnease is an effective treatment as it focuses on the underlining issue and not the surface symptoms. It is a natural herbal pill formulated by a team of doctors to aid your body in obtaining a natural hormonal balance. Try it today!