As mentioned above, acne can strike any age group and any gender.
There are four different types of acne:
• Acne Vulgaris - this is the most common type of acne and
contains both whiteheads and blackheads.
• Acne Rosacea - this type of acne is characterized by a red
and or flushed appearance that is caused by enlarged blood
vessels. Such enlargement is caused by the inflammatory
bumps. Acne Rosacea is most commonly found on the
forehead and the chin.
• Perioral Dermatitis - this type of acne occurs mostly in
young women. Tiny bumps most commonly appear on the
chin and around the mouth.
• Acne Conglobata - this is a severe form of acne that shows
up not only on the face, but the chest and back as well. It is
a more severe form of acne vulgaris and covers large areas
of skin. This type of acne is more commonly found in men
than women.
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Acne, at its most basic definition, is an inflammatory skin disease.
Individual response to this condition varies among individuals and
can rely on such things as nutrition and other outside factors,
including stress, air quality, and general overall skin care.
In addition to experiencing whiteheads and blackheads, many people
also experience the formation of nodules and pustules with acne. A
more severe form of acne, nodules are large, firm bumps that are felt
just below the surface of the skin. They can look fairly yellow and are
filled with pus.
The ever-present pimple is a noninflammatory type of acne, and does
not cause pus, though it will generally appear as reddened bumps.
Cysts, on the other hand, can be quite difficult to deal with. In many
cases, a cyst can be the result of squeezing acne blackheads or
whiteheads, which causes the pus to burrow deeper into the skin.
This aggravates infection. Cysts contain a formation of pus that
spreads underneath the skin.
Most outbreaks of acne are limited to several, very common causes.
The most common is a blockage of skin pores. Too much skin oil is
also a main culprit, as is an environment that encourages bacterial
growth.
Acne can be divided or classified into various subgroup types. For
example, Type One is usually identified by the appearance of ten or
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fewer clogged oil glands on the surface of the face. These can be
either whiteheads or blackheads. Type One acne is also sometimes
identified as being a small bump on the skin or even a pustule, which
is a papule that contains pus. While it is an unpleasant word, pus is
nothing more than an accumulation of the body's white blood cells
that have congregated on an infected area to help attack bacteria.
While Type One acne produces very little or no inflammation and no
scarring whatsoever, Type Two acne does produce inflammation and
mild scarring. In addition, Type Two acne is identified by the
presence of ten to two dozen points of acne on the face, and it is
sometimes found on the upper trunk area.
Type Three acne is not only found on the face, but on the back,
shoulders, and chest as well. With this type of acne, cysts or nodules
may be present. A cyst is a sack-like inflammation that is filled with
liquid or semi-liquid substances and can be severely inflamed. This
type of acne will cause moderate scarring.
Type Four acne is identified through large numbers of cysts and
nodules, not only on the face but on the neck and upper body as well.
This type of acne causes severe scarring.
Today, it is not really known why a person's bloodstream will produce
an excessive presence of androgen hormones, nor why some
immune systems are able to better combat inflammatory responses
than others. However, it is a well-known fact that acne is more than a
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surface skin problem. Whether you have oily, dry, or moist skin, acne
needs to be dealt with from the inside out.