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Acne / Breakouts - Symptoms

Though most people will experience acne at one time or another, its severity is genetically determined and hormonally influenced.

Most acne sufferers have a combination of comedones and inflamed blemishes.

Different types of Acne

Non-inflammatory acne
Clogged pores (comedones), which may be:
  • Blackheads (open comedones) look like small dark or greyish dots.
  • Whiteheads (closed comedones) appear as small white bumps.
Inflammatory acne
Pimples, Pustules, nodules and cysts, are inflamed, pus-filled pores of varying sizes. Left untreated, severe cases can cause permanent scarring.
Post-inflammatory response
After lesions heal, there may be residual red or brown spots (hyperpigmentation) that can take months to fade.
3 primary factors influencing acne are:
  • Hyperkeratinization - An over abundance of surface skin cells that clump together to clog the pores.
  • Sebum activity - Sebaceous glands influenced by androgen hormones elevate oil (sebum) production.
  • P-Acnes bacteria - Bacteria mix with sebum, irritating the pore wall and resulting in inflammation.