subject: Skin Treatments For Different Types Of Acne [print this page] Acne is the most common form of skin disorder experienced among teenagers and young adults. It generally begins before or during puberty in the early teenage years and can last well into adulthood. There are a variety of skin products that treat acne, it is just a matter of finding the right skin treatments for your acne.
It is important to first know the different types and stages of acne. Acne is different for each individual, and fully understanding your acne is the first step to effectively treating it. Acne is caused by the skins overproduction of sebum, or oil. This excess sebum clogs pores which leads to breakouts. Acne is rated on four levels (from least severe to most severe) and comes in the form of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, pustules and most severely cystic acne. No matter how severe your acne, there are skin treatments and skin products available for everyone.
The first level of acne is the most common, and can virtually affect anyone at any time. Level one acne is categorised with whiteheads, or closed comedones which appear as white bumps below the surface of the skin. Whiteheads are caused by too much sebum, which leads to clogged pores and oil getting trapped under dead skin cells. As a result, the oil turns white and causes a whitehead to appear. Blackheads are another type of acne, similar to whiteheads, however the comedo is open causing the oil to turn black leaving a blackhead. These are the least severe forms of acne and there are many acne skin treatments available for white and blackheads.
In addition to white and blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules and cysts are other forms of more severe acne. Papules are small red bumps on the skin that can be painful to touch. They are essentially lesions on the skin and fall into the category level two to level three acne. It is best to use a gentle cleanser and acne spot treatment skin products to minimise papules. Pustules are similar to papules, except they are elevated off of the skin and contain a whitehead on top of the papule. This is level three acne and similar skin treatments would be used for pustules as with papules. Nodules and cysts represent the most severe form of acnelevel fourwhich is commonly classified as cystic acne. Nodules are solid lesions deep within the skin which are very painful. Cysts are large puss-filled lesions deep within the skin which are essentially inflamed nodules filled with bacteria. There are some skin products which claim to treat nodules and cysts, however, due to the possibility of scarring from cysts, the best skin treatments for cystic acne generally come from a dermatologist. Because cystic acne is so severe, it is best to get advice from a professional regarding skin products to control the acne and medical skin treatments.
