Various types of acnes
Posted on 02 February, 2011 | No Comments
What characterizes acne, and distinguishes it from other skin disorders, is the appearance on the skin of affected parts of the body with spots of one or more particular types. The four characteristic types of spots, which may develop in acne, are papule, whitehead, blackhead and pustule.
A Papule is a small raised area of skin (a spot). It is the correct medical term for what most people refer to simply as a pimple. The surface of the skin forming a papule remains unbroken and the skin may or may not be discolored. A whitehead, known medically as a closed comedo, is a raised area of skin (a spot) with a distinctive white centre. The skin covering a whitehead is not broken, but there will usually be a ring of red, inflamed skin surrounding the white centre of the spot.
A blackhead, known medically as an open comedo, is a raised area of skin (a spot) which has a pigmented centre, which appears dark brown or black in color. The discoloration is visible through an area of broken skin at the centre of the spot, around which the skin will appear red and inflamed. A pustule is a raised area of skin (a spot) which contains a visible accumulation of free pus. The pus appears a creamy yellow color when seen through the translucent surface of the skin. The pustule may ‘burst’ to discharge the free pus onto the skins surface either as a natural process or as a result of the spot being squeezed, or the pustule may resolve without bursting.
It is important to understand that although each type of acne spot has a different appearance, all the spots are produced by essentially the same process. You may also come across spots beneath which the skin has formed into a dome-shaped swelling, which is typically 1-2cm across, appears angry red in color and is firm to the touch, but often tender.