What Are Papules And Pustules

One of the biggest problems with acne is that there are so many terms used to describe it and so it is important to understand the language of this particular condition. Here are a few terms to help make things a little bit clearer:

Lesion. A lesion is a diseased or infected area of skin which, in the case of acne, arises out of an infected sebaceous gland.

Comedo. A comedo is simply an acne spot (sometimes called a pimple or zit) and comedones can be either open or closed. An open comedo is a blackhead because the surface of the comedo appears black in color, while a closed comedo is usually a slightly inflamed skin-colored bump which can often appear white in color when it is referred to as a whitehead.

Macule. Macules are generally pink or red in color and are the temporary spots which are left by a healed lesion.

Pustule. A pustule is a small inflamed elevation of the skin which is filled with pus. In short, it is a fancy name for a pimple, spot or zit.

Papule. A papule is similar to a pustule except that it is solid in nature and does not contain pus.

Nodule. A nodule looks very similar to a papule and is dome shaped and white. Nodular acne is a particularly severe type of acne and does not respond well to standard forms of treatment.

Cyst. A cyst is an abnormal membranous sac which contains a semi-liquid substance composed of dead cells, bacteria and white blood cells. Cysts often extend into the deeper layers of the skin and can be very painful. When nodules and cysts appear together the condition is referred to as nodularcystic acne.

Acne Cream Differin Differin is the brand name for a retinoid-like drug known as adapalene which controls, but does not cure, acne. Pimples typically take 6 to 8 weeks to form under the skin and, during the first weeks of treatment, Differin may cause these pimples to come to the surface and thus appear to make your condition worse. Read more

What Makes Acne Scars Vanish Acne scars can often be treated to very good effect and, while it is not always possible to make them vanish altogether, it is often possible to get very close to removing all trace of them. Read more

Blue Light Laser Acne Treatment In some cases acne requires more advanced treatment methods either because of the severity of the acne or because of a desire to avoid the side effects from many acne medications. Modern advanced acne treatments offer an alternative which many people today find particularly attractive and among the most popular are light treatments. Read more

Is Body Spray Acne Medication Effective? When we talk about acne thoughts tend to turn initially to facial acne and it is easy to forget that acne is not simply confined to the face and frequently appears on other parts of the body including the neck, chest, back and arms. Read more

Cystic Acne Requires Special Care The trouble with acne in general is that, if it is not treated correctly, it can result in scarring which may or may not be easy to deal with and this is especially true when it comes to cystic acne. Read more

What Can I Eat To Get Rid Of Acne As a fourteen year old boy I had more than my fair share of problems with acne and had a face which resembled the surface of the moon. Of course everyone said that it was quite normal at my age and was nothing to worry about, but I felt very embarrassed by my appearance and for a while didn't even want to go out of the house. Read more

Using A Natural Comedonal Acne Treatment Treating any form of acne can be a long and slow process and the key here lies in the word 'treating' rather than 'curing' because, although you can help to reduce the effects of acne in both the short and long term, curing acne is essentially a matter of giving nature a helping hand and waiting for the condition to run its course. Read more

Is It Possible To Cure Hormonal Acne? The simple answer to the question of whether or not you can cure hormonal acne is yes and no. Read more