Showing posts with label Acne Defined. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acne Defined. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Pimple/Acne/Zit Defined!

First and Foremost, what is Acne?

You may think this post is so silly right?, but just sit up, read through and be
dumbfounded. There are a lot of FAQS about acne/pimple/zit that you do not know(I'm sure of it).

Its Definition:

Acne is a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Some of the characteristics of acne include blackheads, pimples, cysts, infected abscesses, and rarely scarring. Acne usually takes place during adolescence in any men and women. To be more specific, acne starts during puberty and runs to get worse for people with oily skin. Acne gravely strikes teenage boys. Only low to average forms of acne occur in middle-aged adult females. Acne can be found most commonly on the face. The other places where it can occur include the neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, and upper arms, legs ,even in guy's penises and woman's vagina (how painful is that). Most classes of acne are the result of genetic endowment and hormonal troubles.

Cases of acne:

Acne comes out in a similar way for all but can take different forms and can respond in a special way corresponding to the body circumstances of the individual. A basic lesion called the comedo is the begining of acne. The comedo is an enlarged hair follicle clogged with oil and bacterias resting under the surface of your skin, that awaits for the right circumstances to rise into an inflamed wound. Whenever the skin produces more oil, the bacterias grows inside the swollen follicle. The surrounding skin becomes increasingly inflamed as your white blood cells fight against the trespassers. Two main types of acne include (a) non-inflammatory acne and (b) inflammatory acne.

(A) Non-inflammatory acne
  • Closed comedo:
If the plugged follicle stays under the surface of the skin, the wound is called a closed comedo. This usually appears on the skin as small, whitish bumps. This condition is otherwise called as whitehead.
  • Open comedo:
If the plug enlarges and drives through the surface of the skin, the wound is called an open comedo. The dark appearance of the plug is not due to dirt, but due to the buildup of melanin, the pigmentation element of the skin. This condition is otherwise called as blackhead.

(B) Inflammatory acne
  • Papule:
This looks on the skin as a small, firm pink bump. The papules are tender in nature and are frequently considered as an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and clearly inflammatory wounds.
  • Pustule:
These are small round lesions that are inflamed and hold visible pus, which appear red at the base with a yellow or whitish core. Pustules do not hold a large sum of bacteria. The inflammation is stimulated by chemical irritation from sebum components such as fatty free acids.
  • Cyst:
These are large pus-filled wounds that are usually present deep inside the skin. The cysts are very uncomfortable lesions, as they are inflamed. Cysts form as a result of the contents of a comedo spilling over the surrounding skin and due to the reaction of the local immune system in producing pus. The cysts often leave deep scars.
  • Acne conglobata:
This is a rare but serious form of inflammatory acne that develops primarily on the back, buttocks, and chest. In addition, to the presence of pustules and cysts, there may be severe bacterial infection.

Here are the Symptoms:

The frequent symptoms of
acne include persistent, recurrent red spots or swellings on the skin known as zits. The zits become inflamed and get filled with pus. The pimples usually occur on the face, chest, shoulders, neck, or upper portion of the back. Some of the other symptoms include dark spots with open pores at the core, which are known as blackheads, bulged spots under the skin without openings, which are known as whiteheads, and red swellings or lumps filled with pus, which are known as pustules. The pustules can develop from blackheads or whiteheads. Inflamed fluid-filled lumps under the skin known as cysts are also a symptom of acne. These cysts can become as large as an inch crosswise.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Acne, What is it exactly?

I. Acne Defined

Acne
is a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands, due to hormonal changes happening inside the body. Some of the types of acne include black heads and whiteheads, pimples, and cysts. Acne usually occurs during adolescence in both men and women(adolescence stage is the period wherein we develop hormones not available at our younger years, that's why hormones are unstable - causing pimples). It can be seen most commonly on the face rather than other parts, but it can occur in the neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, and upper arms and legs. Most acne conditions and pimple outbreaks are a result of heredity and hormonal problems and has very little thing to do with a harmful diet and poor hygiene.

II. The types of Acne

Acne starts in an alike way for all but could take many forms and can react in a different way according to the body conditions of a certain individual. A basic lesion called the comedo is the begining of an acne. The comedo is an inflamed hair follicle blocked with oil and bacterias residing under the surface of our skin, that waits for the right conditions to rise into an inflamed lesion. Whenever the skin produces more oil, the bacterias grows within the swollen follicle. The surrounding skin becomes increasingly inflamed as your white blood cells battle against the bacteria. Two main types of acne include (1) non-inflammatory acne and (2)inflammatory acne.

1. Non-inflammatory acne

Closed comedo or Whiteheads

If the blocked follicle stays below the surface of the skin, the lesion is called a closed comedo. This usually appears on the skin as small, whitish bumps. This condition is otherwise called as whitehead.

Open comedo or Blackeads

If the plug expands and pushes through the surface of the skin, the lesion is called an open comedo. The dark appearance of the plug is not due to dirt, but due to the build up of melanin, the pigmentation element of the skin. This status is otherwise called as blackhead.

2. Inflammatory acne

Papule

This appears on the skin as a small, firm pink bump. The papules are tender in nature and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and clearly inflammatory lesions.

Pustule

These are small round lesions that are inflamed and contain visible pus(is what they call the whitish pimple core), w/c appear red at the base with a yellowish or whitish center. Pustules do not contain a big amount of bacterias. The inflammation is caused by chemic irritation from sebum components such as fatty free acids.

Acne conglobata

This is a rare but serious form of inflammatory acne that grows mainly on the back, buttocks, and chest. In addition, to the presence of pustules and cysts, there may be extreme bacterial infection.

III. Symptoms

Gimme a break, I know you know what they are, If you spot a pimple or other forms of acne... come here at How to Get Rid of Pimples Fast!!. I'll be sure to help you out.!