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Acne is a disorder in which the oil glands found in
your hair follicles are stimulated to produce extra oil called sebum.
This sebum, the hair and the dead cells on your skin cause bacteria to
develop in your follicles, which in turn causes the skin to inflame.
This inflammation is referred to as acne.
But there is no single
form of acne. There are indeed many forms of acne:
Papules: Papules are inflamed, red,
tender bumps with no head. They are small, pink, raised spots that
should not be squeezed. It does no good but, further aggravates the
situation.
Pustules or Pimples: Pustules
are similar to whiteheads, but are inflamed. They appear as red circles
with a white or yellow center. Squeezing or popping a pustule is equally
proscribed.
Cysts: An acne cyst is
similar to a nodule in appearance, but is filled with pus. It can be
painful and squeezing an acne cyst may cause a deeper infection and more
painful inflammation which will last much longer than if you had left it
alone.
Nodules:
Nodules are acne spots which are much larger than those mentioned above
and can be quite painful. They are big and hard bumps under the skin. It
is not at all advisable to squeeze or pop them.
Whiteheads: When a pore is completely blocked
with sebum, bacteria, and dead skin, causing a white appearance on the
surface, it is called a whitehead. They normally have a shorter life
cycle than blackheads.
Blackheads: When a
pore is partially blocked and facilitates the partial and slow flow of
bacteria, sebum and dead skin cells, it results into blackheads. The
black color is not a result of dirt. In fact, it is skin's own pigment
and melanin that causes it to turn black in color.
Different
types of acne are characterized by these different types of acne spots.
Hope the identification is easier now!
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