Types Of Acne

There are many type of acne ranging from small little bumps commonly referred to as pimples to large cysts known as Nodulocystic Acne. Not only does acne vary in physical size, it also varies in quantity from person to person, in other words, some people may have only one or two pimples while others may have their entire face or back covered. Another type of acne most often referred to as ?whitehead acne? or ?Blackhead Acne? occurs somewhere between the small little pimples and large acne cysts. This is the most common for m of the acne experienced by most adults and teenagers. The distinction ?whitehead? or ?Blackhead? is made from the color of the lesions.

What Causes Whitehead Acne?

As you know, our bodies are covered with tiny little hair follicles or skin pores from which the hair on our face, back, and legs grows. Contained within these hair follicles are little glands known as ?sebaceous glands?, which are used by the body to secrete naturally occurring body oil called sebum to keep the skin lubricated. Acne, whether its whitehead or Blackhead is caused by the clogging of skin pores by debris such as dead skin cells, dirt, makeup and ultimately becoming infected with the p-acnes bacteria. Once the infection starts, the skin pores closes and starts to build up with white puss and expand. Over a period of day or so, this process will give birth to Whitehead Acne.

What Causes Blackhead Acne?

The process of blackhead acne formation is nearly identical to the formation of whitehead acne, listed above. However, the difference lays in the fact that with whitehead acne, the skin pore completely closes, but with blackhead acne, the pore remains open at the top. As the material within the skin pores begins to come out, it oxidizes with the air to produce the ?black? color. This is how blackhead acne gets its name.

Who Gets Acne?

Traditionally, acne has been classified as a teenage disease primarily because nearly 80% of all teenage boys and girls are likely to suffer from this skin condition. However, it appears that times are changing; the number of adults suffering from acne has been steadily increasing over the past decade. It is now believed that nearly one in four adults is likely to experience acne in adulthood. In fact, this skin condition is so common that nearly 20 million people in the United States suffer from it every year.

How can you treat acne?

Now that you are familiar with what causes acne, let?s take a look at some common acne treatment options. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may need to seek professional medical advice, especially if you have severe Nodulocystic Acne. However if you suffer from minor to moderate case of whitehead or blackhead acne, in most cases this type of acne can be treated with over the counter acne treatments. Look for acne treatments containing Benzoyl peroxide or Salicylic Acid as the main ingredient. You will find different treatments with varying concentration of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. You will find concentration levels ranging from 2% - 15%. I would highly recommend that start with the lowest concentration and work your way up.

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