Acne In Its Many Forms

Acne comes in several forms that may or may not be interrelated and is sometimes merely a progression from one form to another over time. While acne is produced by the overproduction of sebum in the body's sebaceous glands, the process can be triggered by many factors. Among these contributing factors are stress, diet, hormonal imbalances, dead cells, oil, and bacteria present on the skins surface. The latter three can cause acne to become inflamed and infected. Infected acne may become swollen, red, and quite painful.

Learn more about how acne forms.

Acne can either be inflammatory or non-inflammatory. Non-inflammatory acne often begins with small minor lesions or microcomedo, which may, in time, develop into either a blackhead (open comedo) or a whitehead (closed comedo). Postules and nodules closely resemble the comedo forms of acne. However, these are more serious forms of acne that can be identified by puss, swelling, and inflammation that they are often associated with.

Another form of acne is popules. This form of acne exists somewhere between non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne. Popules are pimples that are recognizably inflamed yet have no visible pus in the center. Probably the most severe form of acne are cysts. Cysts are recognizable for their sac-like formation and are filled with puss. This is by far the worst form of acne as it runs deep within the tissue of the skin and tends to leave very distinctive scars. Squeezing the cysts can have dire and painful consequences as it can spread the puss throughout the layers of the skin. This will release white blood cells in an effort to fight off the infection, which will result in pain, swelling, and a potentially more deeply rooted infection. Acne vulgaris is the most common form of acne infections and it grows as whiteheads or blackheads.

Rosacea is another form of acne. This particular acne affects mostly middle-aged women and is identified as a 'flush'. In its most severe form, acne rosacea may bring about a condition that is more common in men and referred to as bulbous nose or rhinofima.

Babies go through tremendous hormonal changes in the first days and weeks of life and as a result, infantile acne is quite common, albeit a cause for very little concern. It generally tends to go away in time as the baby's body adjusts to being its very own.

Scalp folliculitis is another form of acne. This type of acne occurs in the scalp and around the hairline. The acid present in the scalp often causes the scalp to be flaky, itchy, and dry. This condition may be the result of excess accumulation of oil and dirt in this area.

Young women may experience perioral dermatitis. This condition is hallmarked by the appearance of tiny popules and postules around the mouth and chin. This is believed to be caused as a reaction to the fluoride in toothpaste and steroids.

Common in teenage boys is an acne that affects the area around the back, face, and shoulders rather intensively. This is known as acne conglobata. It is a severe form of acne vulgaris and has the tendency to become cystic. The final severe form is acne fulminans, which primarily affects teenage boys.