Acne

Acne can have a number of different causes, so it is a good idea to see a doctor & find out the best possible options available.

Acne Symptoms

Involve different types of spots appearing on the skin, mainly on the face, chest, upper back, & shoulders. These spots are caused by the sebaceous glands & hair follicles getting plugged up with dead skin cells & oils. It is a particularly common condition amongst teenagers & younger adults, but it can affect people of all ages.

The main symptoms of acne are:

• Redness (erythema)
• Oily skin
• Painful skin (hot, red, sore, painful to touch)
• Emotional & psychological distress
• Scarring
• Blackheads – dark blemishes, the colour of which is caused by melanin from sebum getting trapped in a sebaceous gl& & oxidising
• Whiteheads – sebum blocks a sebaceous gl& & mixes with dead skin cells & bacteria
• Papules – small, tender red bumps
• Pustules or pimples – a blocked sebaceous gl& becomes infected & develops pus, causing the skin to redden & bulge; these can be painful, grow large & turn into cysts
• Cysts or cystic lesions – cysts are a symptom of severe acne, they occur when a pocket of tissue fills with pus & other fluids, & can be inflamed and/or painful, & carry the greatest risks of scarring
• Nodules – nodules are large, hard lumps that develop beneath the skin, which can be very painful

Acne is evaluated by its severity, from 1 to 4.

• In mild acne, the skin mostly shows whiteheads & blackheads, as well as some papules & pustules
• In moderate acne, the whiteheads & blackheads are more extensive, with more papules & pustules
• In severe cases, the papules & pustules are large & painful & accompanied by nodules or cysts. This type of acne can lead to scarring. Emotional & psychological distress can be a secondary symptom of acne due to the condition often severely affecting the patient’s appearance, sometimes causing deep scarring, & being painful & uncomfortable.