Acne, or known medically as acne vulgaris, are a common skin problem. Although often used interchangeably with pimples, they are technically different. Pimples are a symptom of acne that tells you to take better care of your skin. While acne covers a more wide spectrum of skin problems. Generally, there are six different types of acne.
This time, we’re going to talk about each of those six and how to prevent them from ever appearing on your smooth skin.
Without further ado, let’s tackle each point below about what different types of acne mean for your skin’s health!
6 Different Types of Acne
Causes of acne generally are a combination of excessive oil production in your skin and a bacterial infection.
As such, acne are most likely to appear in areas dominated by oil glands, like your face, neck, chest, shoulders, and back.
While acne come in many forms, they all start with a pore blockage (comedo). At first, most of them look like non-inflammatory, small bumps on your skin.
There are two categories of acne: inflammatory and non-inflammatory. However, in total, there are six different types of acne.
The inflamed ones are papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts. The non-inflammatory ones are whiteheads and blackheads.
1. Papules
Papules are the first type of inflammatory acne we’re going to discuss. They are inflamed, small bumps that are usually warm to the touch and a quite itchy type of acne.
Usually, papules look red or pink, so they don’t have the typical white head that commonly known acne have.
This type of acne can appear on every skin surface, like your chest, neck, shoulders, back, and buttocks.
Fortunately, papules can heal quickly without leaving any scars. That’s because they’re not caused by deep lesions.
2. Pustules
If you see a red and inflamed bump with a raised white head, then you have a pustule. In some cases, the head may not even look white but rather cream or yellow.
Just like papules, pustules usually appear in areas that have a lot of oily glands, like the face, the back, and the shoulders.
However, unlike papules, pustules can leave scars if you try to get rid of them by picking or scratching them.
3. Nodules
Nodules are one of the painful types of acne that don’t have white heads but may be filled with pus.
Since the lesions occur so deeply, the pus doesn’t show its color. Most nodules are caused by large and deep lesions, so it may take a few weeks to several months for them to heal.
It’s important to note that women tend to be more prone to getting nodules during the monthly period cycle.
4. Cysts
If the previous types of acne mostly came in the form of small bumps, cysts take the form of fluid-filled lumps that can be quite painful when you touch them.
While cysts don’t have white heads, they are still filled with pus and a thick, yellow, or white fluid. Oftentimes, they also contain blood.
It’s very important not to pop or drain cysts on your own. Make sure to get a professional dermatologist’s help to treat cysts.
It will take several months for your skin to fully heal from cysts. It’s highly likely that cysts leave noticeable scars on your body.
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5. Blackheads
Unlike inflammatory acne, blackheads are usually not painful. Blackheads, also known as open comedones, are open pores that contain excess oil and dead skin cells.
Due to their dark color, most people assume that blackheads are caused by dirt, so they try to scrub them vigorously to get rid of them.
On the contrary, scrubbing may worsen the skin condition. The already sensitive skin may get more irritated, which can lead to more skin problems.
6. Whiteheads
If blackheads are clogged open pores, then whiteheads are white bumps, closed by excessive oil and dead skin cells. That’s why whiteheads are also often called closed comedones.
Whiteheads are the type of acne that contains pus, so they look white and yellowish and may be quite painful when you touch them.
Should You Pop Acne?
When you see small bumps on your skin, you may be tempted to pop them. No one can deny that the action seems quite satisfying, but for the sake of your skin’s health, you shouldn’t do it.
When you pop your acne, you don’t instantly get rid of them. Instead, you may expose your skin to more bacteria, which may cause you more skin problems, such as acne scarring. Furthermore, you may damage your skin by drawing blood when you apply too much pressure.
How to Prevent Acne
Knowing the different types of acne may help you understand better how they came to be in the first place. That’s why you should learn how to prevent them altogether by doing the following things:
- Take better care of your skin by using the right product for your skin type.
- Make sure to use a mild cleanser to wash your face twice daily.
- Apply alcohol-free or non-acnegenic skin products.
- Wash your hair often if you have an oily scalp. It’ll help keep your hair off your face.
- Always use sunscreen when you go out.
- Keep your body hydrated.
- Consume vitamin C to fight free radicals.
- Consume vitamin A, D, and E to improve the skin’s health.
Rejuvenate Your Skin with SHR
As mentioned at the beginning, pimples are a symptom of acne. So, to get rid of those acne, you basically have to stop acne from happening altogether.
Let’s start with getting rid of dead skin cells and other types of dirt that may clog your pores first by getting Super Hair Removal (SHR) treatment at Clean & Tidy.
At Clean & Tidy, we offer a gentle laser hair removal method that works by targeting hair follicles directly. Rest assured, your small acne acne won’t get affected or even worsen.
If you’re interested in trying our services, reach out to us and book an appointment at our outlets in Bugis or Jurong.
With that, our short discussion about types of acne reached its end. Take notice of each type and make sure to always take precautions to prevent acne from appearing.
For more insights like this, check out our blog. We’ll see you next time!
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