There are three different forms of acne vulgaris( most common type of acne)
- Non-inflammatory acne
- Very mild acne
- Includes blackheads and whiteheads
- Moderate form of acne
- Includes papules, pustules and macules
- Severe form of acne
- Includes cysts and nodules
- Often leads to deep scarring
Noninflammatory Acne
Inflammatory lesions are caused by the build up of sebum and keratin in the pores of the skin. They are a very mild form of acne that include blackheads and whiteheads.
A blackhead is a sebum plug partially blocking the pore. This kind of acne is open and the blockage hardens at the surface of the skin. Blackheads typically appear around your nose but they can occur anywhere on your face. Some lip products are known to clog pores and form a blackhead on your lip line. Personally, I have a lot blackheads on my chin.
Whiteheads are closed lesions and form when the pore is completely blocked and covered by skin. A whitehead can form anywhere on your body. Here is a picture of what a pore looks like when a blackhead and whitehead is formed.
Inflammatory Acne
Inflammatory lesions form when bacteria break down the sebum and produce inflammation to the surrounding tissue. This is when papules, postules and macules form. These lesions are considered to be a moderate form of acne.
A papule is a raised lesion in a variety of shapes such as domed, flat-topped and unbilicated. They appear to be small pumps with no visible pores or pus.. The borders of a papules are less than 1cm in diameter and sometimes appear flaky.
Postules are lesions that contain pus. Postules are considered a moderate form of acne and appear as mid sized pumps. They can have either a white or yellow top and are surrounded by inflammation. This kind of acne vulgaris can be very painful and some people think it's ok to forcefully pop them. I advise against that though. These lesions can leave an untreatable scar behind if they are not left alone.
Unlike the others, a macule is a flat lesion. It's a different color of the skin but you can't feel it when you touch it. They are sometimes mistaken as acne scars. However, macules are a temporary healing spot for acne that's healing. They're common in people who suffer from acne and other skin conditions. They should disseaper if they are left alone. If not, you could be left with a scar or cause more breakouts.
Cystic Acne
Cystic acne is considered a severe form of acne. This type of acne includes cysts and nodules. They form when buildup of bacteria and pore clogging contents are deep in the pores. This causes deep tissue damage and the immune system responds with extensive inflammation.
Cysts( most severe form of acne vulgaris) are very large lesions full of pus. They appear to be big painful bumps that extend beneath the skin. They can sometimes have a white tip. Usually, you can detect them before they even appear. The Cysts rupture beneath the skins surface and push the blockage even further into the skin. This makes it even harder to to treat. If you have this kind of acne it's time to see a dermatologist. These acne lesions have a long, painful healing time and scar in the process.
A nodule is a raise lesion that is solid with a diameter greater than 1cm. Nodules are large, hard, painful under the skin lesions that form in the later stages of a breakouts. They're very similar to papules but much larger in size. The only two things that separate them from cysts are they're not filled with pus, nor quite as big. They can form in the epidermis, dermis or subcutaneous tissue. Never squeeze a nodule. The pressure will only increase the infection and cause extreme scarring.
Unfortunately, I do not have a picture for this form of acne. I only have moderate acne and I can't publish a photo that's not legally mine. However, you can refer to my picture above for noduler acne. As I stated before, it's very similar to papules but larger in size.
To read another one of my posts about ways you can prevent breakouts, click here.
Thank you for reading, TaylorPie.
* I am not a medical professional.
