4 Types of Acne Lesions

I’ve suffered from acne for years.  But, once I learned how to control the acne breakouts, the more manageable it became.  Still, it’s frustrating.  But I’d like to go into the different types of acne lesions.  There are 4 types of acne lesions you should know about.

4 Types of Acne Lesions:

While I don’t want to get too technical, I do think it’s important to understand the 4 types of acne lesions.  Understanding the different types can help you to manage the type of acne that you have.  Here are the types of acne you should become familiar with.

1. Comedo
2. Papule
3. Pustule
4. Cyst

Again, knowing this will help you to manage the specific type of acne you have.  You might know acne better by the most common acne term:  zits!  Or pimples!

Pimples / Comedos / Pores

But, in medical terms, the first and the one that isn’t very severe is called a comedo.  This is actually just a clogged pore.  It’s very common.  When oil from the hair follicles on our skin blocks our pores, we get this type of acne.  You might be familiar with whiteheads and blackheads (like blackheads on nose).  And the difference between these is determined by if the pore is opened or closed.

Whitehead vs. Blackhead

Whiteheads are closed – you know them, you have a “white” head filled with pus.  Blackheads are “open” – it’s basically a plug of a mixture of oil and dead skin cells.  It is exposed to the air and so oxidizes and turns “black” or sometimes yellow.  You often see this as blackheads on your nose and maybe even your forehead.  However, it can be anywhere on your body.  Often, it’s tempting to try to pop these blackheads or squeeze them out.

Papules / Pustules

Next, we move onto the papules and pustules.  These are numbers 2 and 3 of the 4 types of acne lesions.  These are those red bumps on our skin that kind of look like they are irritated.

This happens when the hair follicle is totally blocked so the oil is trapped under the skin.  It becomes aggravated with bacteria and dead skin cells.  This is why it is swollen.

The small red bump is a papule; if it has yellow pus, it’s called a pustule.  Pustule because there’s pus in it.  It’s an infection and the more pus there is, the more infected it is.  Papules can last over a week and pustules can last a little less than a week.

Cysts

Lastly, the worst kind of acne is a cyst.  These are painful and they have a lot of pus.  The inflammation is actually underneath the skin – almost like it can’t get out (i.e., anytime you’ve tried to pop one of these and you just can’t get anything out).  These are problematic because if they pop under the skin, it can become a scar.  Cysts can last a long time – months even!  They’re frustrating!

In the end

When acne (any type) starts to heal, you’ll get macules (red spots) or scars.  Macules can last for about a year.  Scars generally only happen with very deep cysts but can also happen if you pick at your skin or try to “pop” your zits.  Sadly, scars can last a lifetime although they can fade and that’s why it can be helpful to remove dead skin cells by exfoliation.  Learn about the 4 types of acne lesions and determine your skin type to know more about how often to exfoliate.  For more information about exfoliation, click here.