Many people suffer from acne and it can be very frustrating managing breakouts which is why it’s beneficial to determine what type of acne you have in order to treat it properly. There are various types of acne which include comedones, pimples, and cysts. Comedonal acne are clogged pores that are full of oil and cellular debris. They are most commonly known as blackheads and whiteheads. Depending on how long the pores have been exposed to the air and how deep they are will dictate if they become white or blackheads. There are various facial and hair products that can trigger comedonal acne. If you know that you have comedonal acne or are prone to it, you should read the label and ensure that it clearly states the product is noncomedogenic. These products are less likely to clog your pores and cause comedonal acne.
Black heads can be visibly seen on the skin as tiny black dots. Contrary to popular belief, the black dots aren’t made up of dirt. They turn black because this is the color the sebum becomes after being exposed to air a certain amount of time. Black heads can appear anywhere on your face and usually exist in clusters. White heads on the other hand haven’t fully protruded all the way through the skin. They’re raised white bumps that surface on the skin and resemble pimples. Additionally, you can have giant and macro comedones. Giant comedones is a type of cyst with a large lesion while macrocomedones are closed and are larger than 2 millimeters. Lastly, microcomedones are very small and are hardly visible where solar comedones are predominately in older adults and caused by the sun.
Comedonal acne is non-inflammatory meaning that the lesions don’t have puss that can infect other parts of the skin. They are also not tender to touch and don’t cause any pain. Therefore, this type of acne is considered to be mild to moderate and can be managed by adjusting your skin care habits. For instance, you want to increase the amount of times that you’re washing your face. Make sure to wash your face at least twice a day with a soap that is gentle on the skin. Stay away from using any skincare products or cosmetics that have oil as an ingredient. Lastly, if none of these adjustments are making a difference try applying an over the counter medication. There are various medications that can be effective if they have some of the following ingredients: adapalene, azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid. If you still don’t notice an improvement on your skin, you should consider seeing a skin care specialist.
