Acne, whether it be a pimple, blackhead, whitehead, or pustule, is something everyone has or will experience sometime in their life. It can be mild or so severe it causes permanent scaring.

Blackheads are open pores filled with dark dried oil and dead skin cells. Whiteheads are closed pores that have become clogged. A pimple is a bump that is around a pore that has let bacteria onto the surface of the skin. A pustule is a pus filled bump. Pustules can get beneath the skin and form cysts. It is the last form of acne that causes permanent scarring.

Acne usually begins with the start of puberty and in some cases last well into adulthood, although it's rare to see anyone over the age of fifty with acne.

People who had bad cases of acne as a teenager are likely to have children who will have acne.

There are many things that will make acne worse: stress, poor diet, oil based cosmetics, air pollution, hormones, pregnancy, and certain drugs.

While acne certainly isn't a life threatening disease, it can cause permanent physical and emotional scars. Physical scars on the face if the acne isn't treated properly and emotional scars if a person, especially a teenager, is teased about his acne.

There are many forms of treatment for the acne sufferer. They can take the form of over-the-counter creams and lotions, holistic, homepathic, and herbal approaches, as well as taking antibiotics.

What works for one may not work for another and it can be expensive to experiment to find the right treatment. But don't give up the search. Don't just sit back and say nature has to take its course. Especially if the person with the acne problem is a teenager. The emotional stress of being a teenager doesn't need to be compounded by having his peers tease him about his acne.

By Barb Jensen Comments(0) 2008-07-04 14:00:01