What is acne?

Acne is a type of skin condition, where tiny lumps of bumps are formed on the skin, when the oil-secreting glands are clogged and cause inflammation or infection. They generally show up during puberty, when the sebaceous(oil) glands come to life. Acne is not dangerous and most commonly seen in people of all races and all ages.

Generally there are two types of acne:

• Non-inflammatory acne, characterized by the presence of whiteheads and blackheads.
• Inflammatory acne, characterized by the presence of pimples, which may rupture to form inflammatory lesions that are raised, reddened areas on the skin called "papules."

In the majority of cases, individuals exhibit both types of acne. Acne typically occurs in the facial area, chest and back, where the sebaceous glands are the most prominent. Acne can also occur on other areas of the body as well, such as on the neck and upper arms. If the top of the plug is white, it is called a whitehead and if it’s dark it is called blackhead. If the plug breaks open, swelling and red bumps occur. If the Acne is deep in to the skin, can cause hard, painful cysts. This is called cystic acne.

Symptoms of acne

Acne tends to appear on the face, back, chest, shoulders and neck. The symptoms are blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, or pimples.

• Whiteheads: these are tiny white bumps which remain under the skin.
• Blackheads: these are clearly visible dark spots with pores open at the center.
• Papules: these are small bumps which are usually in pink.
• Pustules: these tiny bumps are red at the base and have pus at the top.
• Nodules: these are large, solid pimples which are painful and are embedded deep in the skin.
• Cysts: these are painful, and are filled with pus and can easily cause scars.

Causes of acne

Acne is also called as acne vulgaris which is most commonly seen in teenagers.The outer layers of our skin continuously shed. Acne occurs when tiny pores on the surface of the skin become clogged. The sebaceous glands, which produce sebum, exist inside the pores of our skin. Each pore opens to a follicle which contains a hair and an oil gland. The oil released by the gland helps remove old skin cells and keeps your skin soft. When glands produce too much oil, the pores can become blocked. Dirt, bacteria, and cells build up. Pore blockage is more likely to occur during puberty.

Acne is caused when these follicles get blocked, resulting in an accumulation of oil under the skin. Then bacteria develop inside the pores and starts multiplying, causing swelling and redness which leads to start of acne.

Acne diagnosis

For proper acne diagnosis first the dermatologist needs to examine the skin to make sure that it is one. This involves thorough examination of the symptoms to see how painful and inflamed the acne is.

Four grades are used to measure the severity of acne:

• Grade 1: mildest form acne, mostly whiteheads and blackheads with just minor pimples.
• Grade 2: moderate ones with multiple whiteheads and blackheads which are mostly confined to the face.
• Grade 3: moderately severe acne with large number of papules and pustules as well as the occasional inflamed nodule. The back and the chest are also affected.
• Grade 4: most severe acne where the skin shows large number of large painful pustules and nodules.

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