What Is Acne?

 What Is Acne? 

What is acne? Certainly, most of us know what it is, simply 

because we have had to experience it at one time or another 

in our lives. But, in case a definition is needed, here is a short 

one. Acne is a dermatological term that includes clogged 

pores, pimples and lumps or cysts that occur on the face, 

neck, chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms. Acne occurs 

most commonly in teenagers, but is not limited to any age 

group, afflicting even adults in their forties. This disease has 

many varieties, and although none are life threatening, the 

more severe cases of acne can be disfiguring, leaving 

permanent scars on effected areas.  

The physical changes in body tissue - or lesions - which acne 

causes are described in five ways: comedos, papule, pustule, 

nodule and cyst. Further, these terms denote range or 

severity with comedo (also known as blackheads and 

whiteheads) at one end and nodules or cysts at the other.  

As stated above, acne is most common among teenagers, 

affecting teens between the ages 12 and 17. Usually, these 

mild cases are cleared up with over-the-counter treatments 

and the acne goes away by the early twenties. It also should

be noted that although acne affects both girls and boys 

equally, there are some distinctions. Young men are more 

likely to have severe, long-term acne while women can have 

reoccurring or intermittent acne well into adulthood due to 

hormonal changes and cosmetics. 

Now that we have summarized just what acne is, we can 

move on to the subject of this book. A guide to acne: what 

types are there, how to treat it, and current myths circulating 

about it. The hope is that the reader will come away having 

gained a clearer understanding of acne in its various forms, 

and how it can be combated against and to reduce its impact 

upon the lives of those suffering from it. This is by no means 

an exhaustive guide on the subject nor is it a clinical journal, 

but is at the very least, an introduction and a source upon 

which to do further study into the causes and cures of acne in 

all its forms.