What is Acne?
Characterized by pimples, blackheads and whiteheads, acne is a skin disorder that affects almost everyone between the ages of twelve and forty-five years. Acne may or may not be present during all these years, and it can have varying degrees of severity. Hormonal changes, stress, poor nutritional habits, allergies, the use of some drugs and over active oil glands can all contribute to the appearance of acne lesions on the face, chest, shoulders and back.
An acne lesion is the result of a change in the skin that is caused by processes in the sebaceous follicle. Sebaceous follicles are hair follicles that are attached to sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands produce an oily substance called sebum and are found mostly in the face, neck, chest, back and shoulder areas.
Acne lesions can take the form of comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), and include papules, pustules and macules (which are the red spots left by healed or healing lesions). Acne lesions can also take the form of nodules or cysts, which are somewhat more severe in appearance and other characteristics such as level of accompanying discomfort and amount of scarring. Let's take a closer look at the types of acne lesions, and learn a bit about treatment.
Types of Acne Lesions
- Blackhead- A comedone that occurs when trapped sebum and bacteria begin to rise to the surface of the follicle. It appears dark because of melanin, which is the skin's pigment.
- Whitehead- A comedone that occurs when the trapped sebum and bacteria are lodged below the skin surface.
- Papule- This is a small, solid lesion that is slightly elevated above the skin's surface. While difficult to see, a group of papules may give the skin a sand-papery feel.
- Macule- This is the temporary spot left by a healed acne lesion. It is normally reddish in color and may take several days or even weeks to completely disappear. When a group of macules is present, the entire area may look inflamed and red.
- Nodule- A nodule is an acne lesion that, like a papule, is solid and dome shaped, but unlike a papule, is inflamed and goes deep into the layers of the skin. A nodule may cause destruction of tissue and scarring, and can be quite painful.
- Cyst- A sac-like acne lesion that is larger than a pustule, a cyst will contain pus and may be inflamed and very painful. Like a nodule, a cyst will extend deep into the tissue and may cause scarring.
Acne Treatment
Treatment for acne depends on many variables. Some people respond well to certain treatments while others do not.Often lifestyle and diet changes help significantly. Natural remedies work well for many people. Some people will have good results with over the counter medications, and some will need the help of a dermatologist.
It's always best to treat acne lesions from both the inside and the outside, meaning that you may need to monitor your diet and add or delete some things to make sure your body is processing toxins properly, and you may also need to use topical remedies on your acne eruptions as well.
Acne is not only physically scarring, it can be emotionally scarring too.
Take time to find out what treatment options will work best for you, and be consistent with your acne control regimen. By doing so, you will notice fewer acne lesions and feel better.
Recommended Acne Treatments
Skin Care Tips for Treating Acne
Facial Skin Care: Free Online Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Face : Acne Treatment & Skin Care Tips
Learn how to care for acne prone skin with a cleansing and moisturizing routine in this free online guide to maintaining healthy skin.
Runtime: 2:13
59275 views
10 Comments:
Dont Loose All Theses Information
New Guestbook
|
Acne-Treatment-Guru
Hi, Posted March 17, 2008 |
Read More About Acne Lesions
Fetching RSS feed... please stand by
