Acne, scientifically known as acne vulgaris is more than just a temporary bump on your skin; it’s a common, persistent skin condition that affects 85% of people worldwide. From adolescents navigating puberty to adults facing hormonal changes, acne doesn’t discriminate based on age or gender. Understanding how acne forms and identifying the different types of acne is important for effective acne treatment. In this post, Dr. Charu Sharma, Head of of Dermatology at Cureskin explains the intricacies of acne, its various manifestations, and innovative solutions like Cureskin for acne treatment.
What is acne?
Acne is a chronic skin condition characterised by the blockage of hair follicles due to a buildup of dead skin cells and excess oil (sebum). It typically affects areas of the skin with a high number of oil glands, such as the face, upper chest, and back. The condition can cause various types of lesions, including blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and nodules, which can lead to scarring. Hormonal fluctuations, particularly during puberty and menstruation, contribute to increased sebum production, exacerbating acne.
According to the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study, acne affects 85% of the global population, indicating its prevalence in young adults and adults alike. In India alone, approximately 72.3% of the population suffers from acne. The impact of acne extends beyond physical symptoms, often causing emotional distress, anxiety, and depression, highlighting the importance of effective treatment.
How Does Acne Form?
Understanding the formation of acne is essential for devising targeted acne treatments. The process begins when sebaceous glands produce an excess of sebum, which, combined with dead skin cells, forms a plug within hair follicles. If the plug remains close to the skin’s surface, it appears as a whitehead (closed comedo), while an open comedo (blackhead) forms when the plug is exposed to air and oxidizes.
The presence of bacteria, particularly Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes), within the plugged follicles, leads to inflammation and the formation of acne lesions. Left untreated, acne can progress, resulting in more severe forms like papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts, potentially causing scarring and long-term skin damage.
What are the different types of acne?
There are several types of acne lesions, each with distinct characteristics. Cureskin, an AI-powered dermatology app, helps users identify different types of acne by analysing facial images. The app uses advanced machine learning algorithms to classify acne lesions and provides a personalised acne treatment kit by dermatologists based on the user’s unique skin type and acne profile.
Whiteheads (closed comedones): They are formed when a blocked pore remains closed, trapping sebum, dead skin cells, and bacteria inside.
- Appearance: Small, flesh-coloured or white bumps on the skin
- Texture: Smooth, with a white or flesh-coloured centre
- Inflammation: No inflammation, as the pore is closed
Blackheads (open comedones): Unlike whiteheads, blackheads have an open pore that allows the trapped material to oxidize and turn black. They appear as dark spots on the skin’s surface.
- Appearance: Small, dark-coloured spots that appear as slightly raised bumps on the skin’s surface
- Texture: Smooth, with the centre appearing darker than the surrounding skin
- Inflammation: No inflammation, as the pore is open to the air
Papules: These are small, red, inflamed bumps caused by the immune system’s response to the bacteria in the blocked pore. Check out how Cureskin acne treatment help treat Vibha’s adult acne during pregnancy.
- Appearance: Small, red, inflamed bumps
- Texture: Firm, with a rough surface
- Inflammation: Moderate inflammation, as the immune system responds to the bacteria in the blocked pore
Pustules: These are similar to papules but have a white or yellow centre filled with pus. Pustules are a sign of more severe inflammation.
- Appearance: Pus-filled, red bumps with a white or yellow centre
- Texture: Soft, with a fluctuant (fluid-filled) centre
- Inflammation: Moderate to severe inflammation, as the immune system responds to the bacterial infection
Nodules: These are large, solid, painful lumps that develop deep within the skin. Nodular acne is considered a severe form and can lead to scarring if not treated properly.
- Appearance: Large, solid, painful lumps that develop deep within the skin
- Texture: Hard, with a rough surface
- Inflammation: Severe inflammation, as the nodule extends deep into the skin
Cysts: Cystic acne is the most severe type, characterized by painful, pus-filled lesions that are often deep in the skin. Cysts are prone to rupturing and can cause scarring.
- Appearance: Painful, pus-filled lesions that are often deep in the skin
- Texture: Soft, with a fluctuant (fluid-filled) centre
- Inflammation: Severe inflammation, as the cyst ruptures and spreads the infection deeper into the skin
Cureskin is a AI- powered dermatology app that offers personalised skincare kit prescribed by the dermatologists, including acne treatment. With over 17 lakh + people treated, Cureskin boasts of providing accurate analysis of all types of acne, including comedones, cystic acne, etc, with dermatologist intervention to thooughly analyse the medical issues causing the acne and the best acne treatment.. To know how, check out Vibha’s review of Cureskin’s skin treatment kit for treating her inflammatory acne while she was pregnant.
You can simply upload photos of your face and receive a personalised skincare regimen from dermatologists tailored to your specific needs on Cureskin app. You can download the Cureskin app on both Android and iOS.
Discover effective treatment options for acne due to dandruff with insights from Dr. Charu Sharma, Head of Dermatology at Cureskin. Learn about the causes of face acne due to dandruff and how to cure acne caused by dandruff effectively.
