Tag: Nodules

Understanding Acne in Puberty Stage

Puberty acne develops from a few simple steps. First, teenage acne occurs when for some unknown reason or combination of reasons, hair follicles, also known as pores, become blocked. Although the exact combination of reasons that pores become clogged may not be fully known, many contributing elements for teenagers and adults alike can include:

* genetics (whether or not there is a history of acne problems and if so, to what extent)

* hormones

* dietary and vitamin make up (or lack of /deficiency)

* stress related factors

Other denominators in the development of puberty acne could include factors like how your body normally rids itself of its dead skin cells. And influences that may be working against this regularity.

For example, climate and other environmental factors, overall body health at the time of the outbreak, and your hormones and their effect on your own body’s sebum production (especially for females).

Second, the normal dead skin cells that combine with your body’s natural sebum oil as it drains through the skin’s surface become clogged in these blocked pores. This substance becomes somewhat sticky, further clogging the passageway.

Third, bacteria begins to grow around these clogged areas. As a normal reaction, your body’s white blood cells attack the bacteria, fighting it and pushing it out of the body.

And forth, the resulting growths during this 14-day to 21-day battle are called microcomedones. Microcomedones turn into comedones, commonly referred to as blemishes, pimples or acne.

There are basically four types of puberty acne: whiteheads, blackheads, pimples and nodules.

Whiteheads are when the sebum (oil) and resulting bacteria are trapped below the skin’s surface and you can actually see a white head appear above (or near popping out of) the skin.

Blackheads are when the sebum and resulting bacteria are only partially trapped, slowly draining out the surface and turning black because of your skin’s melanin or pigmentation.

In the absence of either white or blackhead are generally (but not always) smaller pimples. And the often deeper, boil-like lesions are referred to as nodules.

All forms of puberty acne can be mild, moderate or severe. Typically, mild puberty acne is visible in the form of whiteheads and blackheads, sometimes pimples.

With moderate puberty acne, more pimples and pustules are present on the face, some may appear on the back or chest.

And with severe puberty acne, many nodules develop, often large and sore, over parts of the face, back, chest and other body areas. This type of acne can lead to scarring.

Actually, lesser cases of puberty acne have been followed by scarring. So for those with possible nodular acne, seeking advice from a healthcare provider as soon as possible is recommended.

A gender issue to note is that males more often have the severe form of acne rather than females, due to their hormones. And the areas where they tend to break out most frequently are unfortunately more difficult to treat, the chest and back.

The Basics of Acne

We see it and we obsess over it but do we know anything about it?

Acne is a skin condition brought about by a host of factors that all contribute to its development. It starts off with an excess production of oil on the skin due to the over activity of bodys skin glands. The bodys hormonal havoc may lead to the plugging and clogging of the pores. When these oils interact with the dead skin cells that line up the pores and the dirt that accumulates from the environment, outbreaks may occur especially when bacteria begins to accumulate.

Genetics play a role in acne. People whose family members have acne will most likely develop acne or have children who will develop the condition. The bodys internal hormonal system also contributes. This is the reason why teeners are more predisposed to it than adults.
Acne does not only occur on the face, although they are much visible there. Acne may crop up in different parts of the body but the most common is of course in the neck, at the back and on the shoulders.

There are five different types of acne, or one may also call them stages of acne. The first one is the most common form, acne vulgaris. This is actually the mild to moderate version of acne problem. Do not get be confused. If your only problems is some zits that you can count with your fingers then this is not your problem. Acne vulgaris involves all the works, whiteheads, blackheads, papules and pustules, which are quite visible as they often have a white or a yellow center. In severe cases of acne vulgaris, the person may also experience the development of nodules and even cysts that are filled with pus. These are the forms of acne that when not treated carefully may lead to scarring.

Another form of acne is the Acne Rosacea, which may appear as the red rash that covers the spaces in between pimples and other blemishes. The condition occurs more often in women than in men and may require specialized treatment and care compared to Acne Vulgaris.

Acne Conglobata, on the other hand, is more severe as it occurs as an interconnected leasions that are dotted with pimples, whiteheads and blackheads. Because of the severity of the condition, this often leads to scarring.

The fourth one is the Acne Fulminans, which is actually similar to Acne Conglobata except that it occurs suddenly. The acne oozes out and the body is even affected, frequently resulting in aching muscles and joints. Males are more affected by this than women. To treat the condition, doctors often recommend the use of Accutane, which is very effective in completely stopping the breakouts altogether. This however is not often prescribed and only as a last resort because of the side effects that it can cause in the body especially for women who have just gotten pregnant.

The last type of acne is the Pyroderma Faciale, which can be often seen in women, 20 to 40 yeatrs old. This is actually quite severe as it often involves the presence of nodules, sores and some pustules, which will no doubt all lead to scarring in the future. Still, if treated well, the condition will rarely continue or last for longer than a year. The important is to have it treated as soon as it crops up.

How to Deal with Cystic Acne

Acne is a very common skin disorder that is usually experienced by young individuals. It is caused by bacteria that form follicles in the skin, usually on the face. Though it is not really serious, acne can cause a lot of discomfort and shame because of its unattractive appearance.

There are many kinds of acne and they range from the simple to the very severe. More commonly known as pimples or zits, acne takes shape in many forms.

The most common of course are white heads and black heads. This type of acne are very easy to treat. Usually, all you need to get rid of white heads and black heads is a good facial wash or soap.

Then there are the more sever type of acne. Cystic acne is one of them. Cystic acne is a form of acne characterized by a proliferation of cysts and nodules, hence its name. This nodules or cysts are filled with pus can become very painful aside from the fact that they can be very unsightly.

This is why individuals with cystic acne are usually under huge physical, emotional or psychological stress. The worst thing about cystic acne is that it can form scars in your face, especially if its squeezed or picked.

What are the causes of cystic acne?

Like other forms of acne, cystic acne is caused by an over production of oil glands by the skin. When the skin, particularly facial skin, produces excess oil the skin erupts. And when there are bacteria, follicles are formed in the skin resulting to acne.

How is cystic acne treated?

Currently, there really is no definite cure for cystic acne. One of the best things that an individual with cystic acne can do is follow a clear skin methodology. The clear skin method is that standard system for treating cystic acne.

The clear skin method is a system of composed activities aimed at diminishing the acne on your face. You will nee specific treatments for this healing system. The first that you will need is benzoyl peroxide. Be warned though that you must only get a low dosage of benzoyl peroxide because it can have a harsh effect on the skin which can result to redness and irritation.

For the clear skin methodology, you will also need a good over the counter facial cleanser. You should get one that would not dry your skin. To be sure that your cleanser is non-drying, you must get one that is specifically for individuals with oily skin. You must avoid using soap as it can strip your skin of its natural oils and moisture.

The next thing that you should get is a facial moisturizer. You must use a moisturizer every day to counteract the reddening and drying effects of the benzoyl peroxide. In choosing a facial moisturizer, select one that has the word non-comedogenic in its label. This means that the moisturizer would not clog your pores.

Water-based moisturizer is usually non-comedogenic. You must also choose one that is hypoallergenic so your skin would not get irritated. It is also wise to get a moisturizer and sunscreen combination. By doing so, you will not only moisturizer you skin but you will also be able to protect from the harsh UV rays of the sun which can make you cystic acne sever.

Acne Scarring 101

When acne heals or when treated by a dermatologist, there are some instances when it will leave some scarring on skin. This is especially true with acne that appears on the later stages of life. Adult skin does not have a store of collagen that helps the skin heal and regenerate. Scarring may also occur when the acne is quite severe. This is because the problem is more intensive, cutting through the skin with more depth than what is usually seen with acne that are only on the surface.

A scar may initially appear as reddish in appearance. After a white, when the skin heals and try to regenerate, the scar will become lighter, sometimes turning white, several shades lighter than the skin tone. There may be pain sometimes, even irritation. Itching is of course not uncommon because as the skin heals, the wound dries up. Sometimes, there may also be some inflammation, swelling and redness.

Normally, only nodules and cystic acne types result in scarring. However, there are people who are more prone to scarring than others. With these people, even the common lesions may result in scarring if not treated well. This is why it is important that people have their acne treated even at the initial stages to prevent scarring and permanent damage to the skin.

Basically, there are two kinds of acne. One kind is the one caused by the increase in tissue formation while the other is caused by the loss of tissue on the skin. The former is what people call keloids, which does not look like your usual scar. Keloids are bumps of skin that resemble a pimple, forming even after the wound has already healed. It can even form on the surrounding healthy tissue. Keloid scarring is actually quite rare and only affects people who have family history of it.

Hypertrophic scars, on the other hand, form above the skin level and appear as bulges and bumps on the skin. Because of this, some people do not think of it as scars but rather pimples that have not yet healed.

The more usual scars are the deep and shallow kind that resembles small crevices on the skin. These are called the Atrophic scars, which are formed below the skin level. There are several types of these kind of scar depending on the shape that it forms on the skin. The ice pick scars, which is the most common, is characterized by deep pits that form v-shapes on the skin. Another form is the boxed scars that are usually seen on temple and cheeks. They are angularly shaped, almost similar to the ones gotten in chicken pox. They can be either superficial or deep depending on the severity of the acne condition. The rolling scar, on the other hand, is the kind that gives the skin a wave-like appearance.

Scarring can actually be treated depending on the severity of the scarring problem, your skin type and of course the type of scars that you have. Sometimes, the location of the scars will also affect the treatment. Often, scarring at the back and at the chest are more difficult to treat compared to those found on the face.

There are a lot of treatment procedures available for scarring such as corticosteroid injections and cryosurgery. Surgical procedures may also be done to remove the scarring as well as x-ray therapy.