Why Do People Get Different Types of Acne?What happens inside the clogged pore determines the type of acne we see. A blackhead appears when sebum and dead skin cells clog the pore. While the pore is clogged, its surface remains open. This lets us look into the pore and see a black color, because of oxidation. Your dermatologist may call a blackhead an 'open comedo' (co-me-dough).
A whitehead forms when the excess oil and dead skin cells clog the pore and block the opening of the pore. Because the pore closes, dermatologists call this type of acne 'closed comedo'.
Acne develops where we have the most sebaceous glands. These glands make sebum and are found in the greatest number on our face, neck, chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms. The excess oil does more than clogging pores. The bacterias that normally live on our skin, P. acnes, thrive in this excess oil. Immersed in excess oil, these bacterias can rapidly increase in number. As they multiply in a clogged pore, the pore becomes inflamed. Inflammation is what causes a pimple to look red, hot, and swollen. When inflammation reaches deep into the skin, an acne cyst is formed - the most severe type of acne. |
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