Types of acne
Up till now no scale has been developed to measure the severity of acne, however, acne can still be classified as mild, moderate or severe. [7]
Depending upon etiology, acne can be classified into the following types.
Noninflammatory
These lesions, as the name indicates are not accompanied by inflammation. The clinical features of inflammation; pain, tenderness, swelling and redness are also absent. These are least severe types and usually respond to over the counter medications.
-
- Comedones: These skin-colored bumps are the most common presentation in acne. There are two types of comedones:
- Open comedones: Black heads are open comedones because they are open at the skin epidermis, however, the skin pores are clogged from inside. Contrary to the common belief, blackheads are black not because of the dirt trapped inside the pores. Rather, it is black due to a chemical reaction. The oxidization of the clogged pore material when exposed to air makes the melanin pigment darker in color. Black gets can be removed if squeezed but it is not a good practice and may give rise to complications.
- Closed comedones: Closed comedones happen when the hair follicle gets clogged with dead skin cells, dirt and sebum. They are not red and have the same complexion as the skin. Unlike pimple, they are just bumps on the epidermis of the skin and they are not harmful. Because the sebum is trapped in the epidermis of the skin, it is useless to try to squeeze it out as it might leave scars.