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

The Use Of Cold Laser Treatment For Acne Scars For mild cases of acne scarring it is often possible to treat the problem either with cream or by using a chemical peel and, where this doesn't work, then the next step is to try a slightly more aggressive treatment such as dermabrasion. Read more

Laser Acne Removal Laser acne removal treatments have been around for some time now but it is only in recent years that they have been used not simply for more severe cases of acne, but also for mild to moderate acne. Read more

The Different Types Of Severe Acne Medication The type of severe acne medication which your dermatologist will recommend depends very much upon the particular type of acne from which you are suffering. When it comes to severe acne the condition is divided into 4 types: 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

Do Trans Fats Play A Role In Acne? Trans fats are found in a wide variety of foods and are added by manufacturers to increase the shelf life of foods and maintain their flavor. Essentially, trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil in a process known as hydrogenation. Read more

Using A Natural Furuncular Acne Treatment Search for furuncular acne and you might find it difficult to find what you are looking for because this is an uncommon term for what is normally referred to as cystic, nodular or nodulocystic acne. Read more

Buying Treatments And Products For Acne Anyone who suffers from blemishes and acne pimples knows only too well just how embarrassing, or even traumatizing, it can be to socialize with other people. Your face is going to be the first thing that people notice and no matter how hard you try to cover your spots you simply cannot totally cover up every spot. Read more