Acne appears when pores and hair follicles become blocked and produce sores on the surface of the skin. These lesions can take many forms, including blackheads, cysts, pimples, abscesses, and in some cases even permanent scarring.

Acne is most commonly observed during puberty, part of the adolescent period. This is when the human body starts to experience big changes in hormone production as a consequence of the devoloping an adult, grown-up body. Acne can affect both genders at all ages; some people will suffer from acne throughout their complete adult lives.

Pimples inflammation is the most apparent symptom in regard to the appearance of the skin. Inflammatory acne can mainly be located on the face, but there are other spots on the body that can be affected, like the upper arms, shoulders, chest, back, scalp, neck, and legs. The pimple is the most prevalent form of acne. A pimple appears when a pore or hair follicle becomes irritated and the skin surface is then marked with small red sores. There are some observable symptoms before the blemish is fully formed. These symptoms include closed comedos, open comedos, cysts, and pustules. Blackheads are blocked pores that have a darker coloration with an opening at the surface of the skin. Whiteheads are slightly different in that they don't have an open ended pore. They will commonly turn into pustules if left alone for a couple of days. If the zits are popped or squeezed, they will generally become more infected and could end up in a scar. So it is a good idea to leave pimples alone.

Non-inflammatory and inflammatory are the main kinds of acne. Two categories compose the non-inflammatory type: closed comedos and open comedos. A closed comedo is also known as a whitehead and appears on the skin as a small white or yellow lesion. The open comedo is usually known as a blackhead.

Pustules are discolored sores that are filled with pus and have a whitish or yellowish color. They can form from whiteheads or blackheads. They are round lesions that have become inflamed because of damaged sebaceous glands. The body has many sebaceous glands that secrete an oil-like chemical known as sebum. When the skin is exposed to too much sebum, the pores and hair follicles become irritated and infected. Cysts are larger pus filled sores that can be seen on the surface but are in reality in the lower layers of the epidermis.

No matter what kinds of blemishes or scars there are, there is a good treatment that is available. Understanding about the different kinds of acne will give the acne sufferer a better chance to find the best treatment product for a particular problem. Remember, you don't have to live all your life with an acne problem. With a bit of research and time, anybody can find the treatment that is right for them.