Description of Acne - Acne

Acne is the scientific term for what we normally call pimples, blackheads, whiteheads or nodules that form on the face, chest, upper back or shoulders. Acne sufferers experience persistent, recurring reddish blemishes on the face, chest, shoulders, neck, upper back or buttocks. When these blemishes are spots that have a dark, open center, they are called blackheads. Whiteheads are spots that bulge under the skin and have no opening. Pimples, on the other hand, are whiteheads that rupture. The boil-like lumps are called nodules.

Despite the common myth, poor hygiene or poor diet does not cause Acne. It is believed to be the result of an overproduction of sebum, a waxy substance that lubricates the skin. The sebum may plug a hair follicle, bacteria grows inside the blocked follicle resulting in an inflammation. This can result in a pimple, or in rare cases, a boil or a cyst. Acne is an outbreak of many pimples, blackheads, etc.