Types Of Acne

There are many different types of acne lesions.

If you have acne, it could mean that you have some, or even many, of the different types we’re about to list here.

If you want to get rid of acne with the acne treatments that work, then see this page here:

Click here for the list of the best acne treatments that work.

Acne, or acne vulgaris, may be classified into the two groups of non inflammatory, and inflammatory acne.

Some of these words you may find your dermatologist using.

Non Inflammatory Acne

This type of acne is caused by clogged pores and there is not much inflammation present.

Whiteheads.

These are caused by the skin pores being blocked. The sebum in the pores is turned into fatty acids by skin bacteria resulting in the white appearance. They’re different to the blackhead, in that the opening of the pores are closed or are very small.

Blackheads.

These are similar to whiteheads except for the fact that the lesions are open, that is the pore openings are open. The dark appearance of blackheads is due to a build up of melanin, the dark pigment produced by the skin. They tend to persist for longer lengths of time than whiteheads.

Inflammatory Acne

These types of acne have more inflammation in them, and hence more redness, swelling, and pain.

Papules And Pustules

Papules. These are red, raised spots on the skin, and can be very small and lots of them, or sightly larger, raised, red spots. They are caused by inflammation of the skin due to the build up of sebum.

Pustules. These are the larger pimples containing pus. There is also usually some inflammation and redness around these collections of pustules.

In mild to moderate acne, there are whiteheads and blackheads, as well as papules and pustules. In moderate acne, there are more of these acne lesions, especially the papules and pustules.

Nodular Acne, Cystic Acne And Acne Scars

Nodules. These refer to the larger, red, hard, and usually painful lumps under the skin surface. They’re a more severe type of inflammatory acne and it is the inflammation that causes the redness, fluid build up and pain.

Cysts. These are also inflammatory lesions just like nodules except there’s more infection and more pus production. These occur in cystic acne.

Scars. The more severe the acne, the more scarring can result in the skin. Basically, the more damage that’s done to the skin, especially to the deeper layers, the more scarring there will be.
In severe acne, there are more nodules, cysts and scars than in milder and moderate types of acne.

If you want to get rid of acne then have a look at the list of the best acne treatments that work.

Learn More About Different Types Of Acne

Articles on cystic acne and other acne types