What is Acne in Skin?
Acne. Pimples. Zits. Spots. Acne is not just pimples.
What is acne?
Acne is a skin condition that happens when the hair follicles on your skin become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. It causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples. You may get these on your face, shoulders, chest and upper back.
Increased sebum production and bacteria both contribute to acne
So what's the difference?
Acne is a skin disease and pimples may be a symptom of acne
Pimples are the small bumps on your skin, which may become red and inflamed. Acne usually causes pimples to develop. When people refer to pimples, they generally see them as a single or random spots that will usually settle after a while. Acne, on the other hand is many spots that occur often and need some help (and time) to heal.
What causes a pimple to form?
Your skin has pores that connect to oil glands just under the skin. These oil glands produce an oily liquid called sebum which carries dead skin cells through the hair follicles to the surface of your skin.
Pimples grow when these follicles get blocked and oil builds up under your skin. Skin cells, sebum and hair can clump together into a plug which can get infected with bacteria (called Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes) and cause swelling.
Pimples are very common. Many people are affected by pimples. They’re most common during adolescence, but adults may have them too.
There are several types of acne
Acne affects about 85% of adolescents and young adults. You are far from alone.
The follicle wall may bulge and produce a whitehead (closed comedone). A blackhead (open comedone) may look like dirt stuck in pores, but it actually is the plug I mentioned earlier, that turns brown when it's exposed to the air.
A pimple is an inflamed whitehead. It develops when blocked hair follicles become inflamed or infected with bacteria. Pustules are pus-filled pimples that look like whiteheads surrounded by discoloured rings. Picking or scratching your pustules can cause scarring. Nodules are large, solid, painful lumps which develop under the skin. Blockages and inflammation deep inside hair follicles may produce cyst like lumps beneath the surface of your skin. Cysts can leave scars.
| Mild acne | Moderate acne | Severe acne |
|---|---|---|
|
Usually does not leave scars, but if you squeeze your pimples, you increase inflammation and may injure your skin more deeply, making scarring more likely |
With this type of acne, you will see more blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and pustules than if you have mild acne | Here you will either have a lot of blackheads and whiteheads, pimples, and pustules or cystic (deep) acne. Cysts often burst and may leave scars |
What can I do about my acne?
As you can see there are different types of acne, so your solution depends on your skin.
Benzoyl peroxide is one of the ingredients recommended for treating acne. This ingredient kills the P. acnes bacteria which is one of the causes of the breakout. It also speeds up the replacement of skin and slows the production of sebum. You can find this ingredient in Benzac AC 5 Gel and Wash.
It will take time to get acne under control, even mild acne (think roughly 12 weeks), but don't worry - the main point is that it can be controlled.
More moderate to severe forms of acne like nodules and cysts require professional advice and treatment. If acne interferes with your day-to-day life, you may want to chat to your healthcare professional about a treatment plan as well.
Consistency is essential in the battle against acne. So if you use Benzac AC 5 Gel for your acne and your spots have disappeared, that doesn't mean you should stop using your cleanser and moisturiser. Get into a routine, apply your cleanser and moisturiser morning and night to get the best results.
For more ideas on how to tackle this spotty issue, check out Tips for Teens on how to look after your skin.
Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and scar the skin. The earlier you seek treatment, the lower your risk of such problems
When should I see a doctor for my acne?
Many teens get pimples which can be treated with over-the-counter medicines but if any of the below sound familiar, a doctor could help a lot.
- • You have tried over-the-counter medicines, like Benzac AC 5 Gel for a month, and if your skin still hasn’t improved, it’s time to see an expert
- • If your acne is severe or you notice acne scars, a doctor can advise you on acne treatments and then treat the scars
- • If your acne affects your self-esteem. Having clearer skin could make you feel more confident and less self-conscious
- • The acne appeared after you started taking a medication, let a doctor decide if something needs to change
- • So there you have it - pimples are just a symptom of acne. But whichever name you give your breakout, know that you have options to combat it and stop it from taking up too much of your life.
References
1. Staff of Cleveland Clinic. Pimples. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22468-pimples. Accessed [28 July 2022]
2. Staff of Mayo Clinic. Acne. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/symptoms-causes/syc-20368047 Accessed [28 July 2022]
3. Brazier Y, Cobb C. What you need to know about acne. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107146#_noHeaderPrefixedContent Accessed [28 July 2022]
4. Keri JE. Acne (Acne Vulgaris) Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/skin-disorders/acne-and-related-disorders/acne. Accessed [28 July 2022]
5. Staff of NHS. Overview Acne. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acne/ Accessed [28 July 2022]
6. Goodman G. Cleansing and Moisturizing in Acne Patients. Am J Clin Dermatol 2009;10 Suppl.1: 1-6.
7. Gardner SS. Teen Acne: When to see a doctor. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/teen-acne-when-see-doctor Accessed [28 July 2022]
8. Sutaria AH, Masood S, Schlessinger J. Acne Vulgaris. [Updated 2022 May 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459173/#_NBK459173_pubdet. Accessed 26 September 2022
9. Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, Alikhan A, Baldwin HE et al. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016;74(5):945-973.e33. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2015.12.037. Epub 2016 Feb 17. Erratum in: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020 Jun;82(6):1576. PMID: 26897386.
