Thursday, January 29, 2009

Signs and Symptoms of Acne

By Richard May

Acne is a very common skin complaint, which not only affects teenagers but quite a few adults as well. It is caused when the too much sebum (oil) is produced and causes the pores on the skin to become blocked. Certainly if left untreated not only is it unsightly but also can if severe enough lead to scarring on a person's skin. Below we take a look at the acne signs and symptoms.

In most cases acne normally appears on a person's face, but it can also appear on their chest, neck, shoulders and back as well. These are all areas of their body where they have glands that can produce oil. When it does appear acne can take various different forms and below we describe what these are.

1. White heads and Black heads also known in medical terms as Comedones that are produced when the hair follicle openings become blocked with the oil and dead skin cells. Plus in some cases there may well be bacteria encased in these blocked openings also.

2. The next form of acne that some people suffer from is known as Papules and which will often appear on the skin as little raised bumps. These are often formed around the hair follicles on the skin, which have become infected and inflamed and will not only be tender to touch by red in color.

3. Pustules are similar in shape and size to papules but along with being red and tender to touch they will contain a white area at the tip, which is made up of pus. It is this which if allowed to escape can cause the acne to occur else where on the body.

4. Nodules are much larger and solid lumps that are found beneath the surface of the skin and are very painful. These are actually caused because the oil has been able to build up deep inside the hair follicle.

5. The final form of acne that some people may well suffer from and which is the worse of all the symptoms is the Cysts. These just like the Nodules are large and painful but contain large amounts of pus (containing bacteria) as well. If left untreated then these can cause further permanent damage (scarring) to that person's skin.

If you choose to leave the acne untreated this can not only lead to further outbreaks, but may well also lead to more serious damage to your skin as well. If at any time you notice you are suffering from certain acne signs and symptoms then it is advisable to seek medical assistance as soon as you can. A doctor may well find that there is some other underlying cause for your problem and this will also need to be treated along with the acne. - 20897

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment