What Is Acne?

Acne is a disease that most commonly effects the face, neck, back, shoulders, and upper chest. The results are small red or white bumps on the skin that are pus filled. Acne rosacea can often resemble a rash.

When the sebaceous glands produce oil, this oil can mix with dead skin cells. This combination can clog pores resulting in a build up of bacteria and ultimately infection and acne.

There are two main types of acne. Inflammatory and non-inflammatory.

Inflammatory Acne is when a hair follical wall ruptures and inflamed lesions can result . These can cause different forms of acne including papules, pustules, and Nodules. Papules are relatively mild and appear as a small and firm lump in the skin. Papules are typically tender, but often not overly visible. Pustules are a lot like papules, however, pus is visible. Nodules are also refered to as cystic lesions and are the worst type of acne. Medical treatment is often advised as this type of acne results in infection and pullutants spreading into surrounding tissue. Nodules are the most common form of acne to result in scarring, especially if left untreated.

Non-inflammatory Acne usually consists of one of two types of acne. Closed and open comedones. Closed consists of whiteheads with no apparant opening, and open are black heads with a visible dilated open.

There are a number of causes of acne, various treatments, and a number of different forms. These issues are discussed on the appropriate pages listed below.

Types of Acne

Causes of Acne

Available Acne Treatments