All About Acne, Pimples, Blackhead, Whitehead, Bumps

Introduction:

Acne is a skin condition that causes whiteheads, blackheads, and inflamed red growths (papules, pustules, and cysts) to form. Pimples, Blackheads and Bumps are Typical of Acne

A pimple, zit or spot is a kind of acne, and one of the many results of excess oil getting trapped in the pores.

Acne is a common skin disease that causes pimples. Pimples form when hair follicles under your skin clog up. Most pimples form on the face, neck, back, chest and shoulders. Anyone can get acne, but it is common in teenagers and young adults. It is not serious, but it can cause scares.

BLACKHEAD:A familiar term for what is medically called an open comedo. A comedo, the primary sign of acne, consists of a dilated (widened) hair follicle filled with keratin squamae (skin debris), bacteria, and sebum (oil).

WHITEHEAD: A familiar term for what is medically called a closed comedo. It is a comedo that has an obstructed opening to the skin. A closed comedo may rupture and cause a low-grade skin inflammatory reaction in the area.

CAUSE OF PIMPLES:

  

Inside the pore are sebaceous glands which produce sebum. When the outer layers of skin shed (as they do continuously), the dead skin cells left behind may become 'glued' together by the sebum. This causes the blockage in the pore, especially when the skin becomes thicker at puberty.  The sebaceous glands produce more sebum which builds up behind the blockage, and this sebum harbours various bacteria  including the species Propionibacterium acnes, causing infection and inflammation.

 

DIFFRENCE BETWEEN ACNE AND PIMPLES:

 The difference between pimples and acne are very subtle. Pimples are said to be the initial stages of the developments of whiteheads. To get a clear picture, one needs to understand the entire process of how acne develops on a person’s skin. The focal points are the pores on the skin that allow any Sebum, the natural oil produced by the sebaceous glands located under the layers of skin, to flow onto the skin. At times, a person’s sebaceous glands may produce too much sebum, which will cause these pores to get blocked as a result of the excess sebum. The sebum will then start to accumulate behind the blockage and may either seemingly pop out of the skin, in which case they will be called blackheads, or they will be unable to pop out of the skin in which case they will be called whiteheads. At this point, the individual has already suffered an acne infection. Pimples are the stage of this whitehead development where the sebum starts to clog the pores and is often referred to as mild acne.

TREATMENT:

A. Over-the-counter medications:

Common over-the-counter medications for pimples are benzoyl peroxide and/or salicylic acid and antibacterial agents such as Triclosan. Both medications can be found in many creams and gels used to treat acne [acne vulgaris] through topical application. Both medications help skin slough off more easily, which helps to remove bacteria faster. Before applying them patients need to wash face with warm water and dry.

Benzoyl peroxide: Benzoyl peroxide is included in the World Health Organization (WHO) Model Lists of Essential medicines, which is a list of minimum medical needs for a basic health care system.

Synthesis, physical properties:

Benzoyl peroxide was the first organic peroxide prepared by intentional synthesis. It was prepared by treating benzoyl chloride with barium peroxide,[1]  a reaction that probably follows this stoichiometry:

2 C6H5C(O)Cl + BaO2 → [C6H5C(O)]2O2  + BaCl2

B. Prescription medication

Severe condition usually indicates the necessity of prescription medication to treat the pimples or Acne. Prescription medications used to treat acne and pimples include:
1. Isotretinoin, which is a retinoid.
2. Antibiotics such as tetracyclines and erythromycin were prescribed. While they were more effective than topical applications of benzoyl peroxide, the bacteria eventually grew resistant to the antibiotics and the treatments became less and less effective. Also, antibiotics had more side effects than topical applications, such as stomach cramps and severe discoloration of teeth. Common antibiotics prescribed by dermatologists include doxycycline and minocycline.
3. For more severe cases of acne dermatologists might recommends accutane, a retinoid that is the most potent of acne treatments. However, accutane can cause various side effects including vomiting, diarrhea, and birth defects if taken during pregnancy.
4. Hormonal agents
In women, acne or Pimple can be improved with the use of any combined birth control pill. These decrease the production of androgen hormones by the ovaries, resulting in lower skin production of sebum, and consequently reduce acne severity. Combinations containing third- or fourth-generation progestins such as desogestrel, drospirenone, or norgestimate may be more beneficial.
5. Azelaic acid
Azelaic acid has been shown to be effective for mild to moderate acne when applied topically at a 20% concentration. Treatment twice daily for six months is necessary, and is as effective as topical benzoyl peroxide 5%, isotretinoin 0.05%, and erythromycin 2%. Azelaic acid is thought to be an effective acne treatment due to its ability to reduce skin cell accumulation in the follicle, and its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties
6. Salicylic acid
It is a topically applied beta-hydroxy acid that stops bacteria from reproducing and has keratolytic properties. It opens obstructed skin pores and promotes shedding of epithelial skin cells. Salicylic acid is known to be less effective than retinoid therapy.

C. Self Hygiene:

Practicing good self hygiene, including regularly washing skin areas with neutral cleansers, can reduce the amount of dead skin cells and other external contaminants on the skin that can contribute to the development of pimples. It is easily available in Market. However, it is not always possible to completely prevent pimples, even with good hygiene practices as a number of externalities such as hormones and genetics are at play role in it.

D. Pimple-popping Or Zit-Popping:

Pimple-popping, or Zit-popping, is bursting or popping pimples with finger. It can lead to the introduction of bacteria or other microorganism into the pimple, infection, the creation of more pimples, and permanent scarring. So, popping is usually deprecated by dermatologists and estheticians and it is recommended to let pimples run through their own life span.

E. Diet:

A diet low in simple sugars is recommended as a method of improving acne.


References
1. "pimple" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
Anderson, Laurence. 2006. Looking Good, the Australian guide to skin care, cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgery. AMPCo. Sydney.
2. "Understanding Benzoyl Peroxide".
Siegle, R. J.; Fekety, R.; Sarbone, P. D.; Finch, R. N.; Deery, H. G.; Voorhees, J. J. (1986). "Effects of topical clindamycin on intestinal microflora in patients with acne". Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
3. Handfield-Jones, S.; Jones, S.; Peachey, R. (1988). "High dose nicotinamide in the treatment of necrobiosis lipoidica".
4.British Journal of Dermatology. 118 (5): 693–696. PMID 2969260. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.1988.tb02572.x.
Morrison, A.; O'Loughlin, S.; Powell, F. C. (2001). "Suspected skin malignancy: A comparison of diagnoses of family practitioners and dermatologists in 493 patients". International Journal of Dermatology.
5. Barrymore, John. "Body Acne and Hygiene". How to Get Rid of Body Acne. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
6. "What to Know Before You Pop a Pimple". WebMD. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
7. "The 10 Most Satisfying Pimple Popping Videos Of 2016". Men's Health. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
8. "Should I Pop My Pimple?". kidshealth.org. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
9. Merlin, Design: Wolfgang (www.1-2-3-4.info) / Modified:. "A14. What should I do after popping a pimple? | Skinacea.com". www.skinacea.com. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
10. "How to Pop a Pimple - Instructions from Acne.org". www.acne.org. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
11. Article on "Pimples" at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimple