What is acne ?
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases , acne is defined as an illness due to the action of skin’s oil glands substances and hormones and also hair follicles . The area where acne can appear are on the face , back , chest , neck and shoulders . The illness is not a serious health threat , but in many cases there are psychological effects such as low-self esteem , isolation from peers or depression .
The left image shows how a follicle should normally look.
Acne starts as a blockage of the follicles(also called pores) which produce more cells than it is necessary . The oil (sebum) in normal conditions drains to the surface but because of the overproduction of cells , it gets blocked which results in an ideal environment for bacteria growth .
On the right side there is a microcomedo . A microcomedo is the root to every single blackhead and whitehead
The Acne is divided in two types: Non-inflammatory Acne and Inflammatory Acne
Non-inflammatory Acne
In this category are the blackheads and whiteheads . As I said , their root is the Microcomedos , and they form non-inflamed skin blemishes .
Blackheads are pores that possess a larger than usual opening . Blackheads are loaded with plugs of oil in addition to sloughed-off cells and have been through a chemical reaction ending in the oxidation of melanin . Because of this reason , the material inside the follicle becomes black , hence the name. Blackheads are also called open comedones .
Whiteheads are follicles that contain the same substances(plugs of oil and loughed-off cells) but they remark themselves with a much narrower opening . The air is not able to enter the follicle so the substances are not oxidized which results in a white color . Another term used for whiteheads closed comedones .
Inflammatory Acne
Here we have four acne lesions:
