Types of Pimples

The hair and skin on the body are kept lubricated with the help of an oily liquid known as sebum. This is secreted or produced by what is known as the sebaceous glands. Now this liquid, after it us secreted, makes it way through the sebum, and reaches the skin through the opening of the hair follicle. This process becomes overactive, especially during teenage, and causes the sebaceous glands to excrete excess of the oily liquid. Along with this, the body can also produces excess of dead skin cells. The oil and the skin cells may get accumulated in the hair follicle, and form into a soft plug. Depending on the type of this plug, there are different types of pimples, which would be described in the following segment.

In What Different Forms Pimples May Occur?

Pimples	Characteristics
Whitehead	First in the list is what is known as a whitehead. You must be familiar with the term. The soft plug that forms as a result of the accumulation of excess sebum and dead skin cells, may become completely blocked, and take a white appearance. These types are known as whiteheads.
Blackhead	When the same soft plug is not completely but partially blocked, it remains open at the skin surface. And then what happens is, the melanin of the skin reacts with oxygen, and cause the plug to darken over time thus, the name blackhead.
Pustules	Pustules on face are usually red, and develop as bumps, tender to touch. These remain inflamed, and have a white or yellow center.
Papules	Similar to pustules, papules indicate infection or inflammation in the hair follicles. They also surface as small, red bumps, which may be tender to touch.
Nodules	In some cases, the excess sebum and dead skin cells start building up deep beneath the surface of hair follicles. And when this happens, it causes the formation of lumps. These are called nodular acne and they seem to occur beneath the surface of the skin, and are usually painful, and large in size.
Cysts	Probably, these pimples are the most severe and painful. They also form beneath the surface of the skin in the form of lumps. However, cystic acne gets filled with pus, and this is what increases the risk of causing acne scars.
Acne Conglobata	This is a rare and severe form of acne that is known to affect areas such as the back, buttocks, chest, shoulders, upper arms, thighs, including the face. According to experts, it is a combination of pustules and nodules.

Other Types

• Back acne
• Acne Rosacea
• Acne Fulminans
• Gram-Negative Folliculitis

Treatment

The treatment is centered around reducing the excess sebum production, getting rid of the bacterial infection (if any), and reducing inflammation. Also, speeding up the skin cell turnover is one of the goals of the treatment.

If we speak of over-the-counter medications, they are good for dealing with mild types of pimple nodules, pustules, papules and the like. And they, most likely, do not respond to severe kinds of the problem. So for these, doctors may provide prescription-strength topical lotions. These products contain vitamin A as one of their active ingredients. They basically prevent the formation of the soft plug I was talking about.

For getting rid of bacteria, antibiotics are recommended. They also help in reducing inflammation. Patients might have to follow a course of topical and oral antibiotics. For cysts, more aggressive form of medications are prescribed, when antibiotics come of no use. Other treatment methods include oral contraceptives, laser and light therapy, and cosmetic procedures.

To conclude, wash the pimple-affected areas with a gentle cleanser, avoid irritants which seem to worsen the pimples, and drink plenty of water to wash out the toxins. Most importantly, leave your pimples alone and do not squeeze them. It will then you recover faster.