Heres the story, about seven months ago he had what looked like a small pimple on his neck, and he popped it, and of course it reacted like a normal zit popping out that nasty stuff, and that was it, but later it continued to gradually grow, Glenn said that after looking at it carefully, he noticed a couple of hairs in the vicinity and figured it was just an ingrown hair, so he plucked the two hairs and of course the swelling went down back to a normal size but it did not decrease.

After a while the pimple started to look more like a sore, it gradually grew slowly , but not to anything abnormal, it finally took Glenn seven months and he decided to go see a dermatologist, and  of course the dermatologist asked why he had not gone to see him sooner, and of course Glenn said… well it acted and seemed like it was just a pimple, but it wasn’t , it was the beginning of a pre-cancerous growth, the surgery was performed and the growth removed and the test results of the biopsy fortunately turned out to be negative.

So if you have some kind of persistent growth that looks like a pimple make sure you check it out, it could be something more serious.

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Acne is actually caused by particles of dirt entering the pores and clogging them, causing ideal breeding grounds for bacteria. This build-up then manifests itself as a whitehead on the surface of the skin.

Foods such as French fries, chocolate and other greasy foods are generally associated with outbreaks. However, this is merely a myth since no real scientific link has actually placed greasy food as a cause of acne. However, in some cases, it was shown that certain foods caused the initial acne to get progressively worse. So, as a general rule of thumb, avoid eating certain kinds of food that you think may cause you to break out. Understand, however, that this does not apply to everyone and you might be one of the few who can eat greasy foods and still get away with it.

Another belief is that frequent washing has a beneficial effect, reducing the chances of acne and lessening it once it appears. This is not true. In fact, it has shown to increase acne outbreaks, if anything. Repeated washing can lead to dryness and irritation of the skin, which leads to a prevalence of acne breakouts. Because of this, people should only wash twice daily using only a mild soap; anything more will result in skin irritation.

The average person’s reaction to a pimple is to pop it, thereby removing the whitehead and the source of the infection. However, this is not the case. What actually happens when the pimple is popped is that the bacteria, dead skin cells and pus get deeper into the skin, leading to even more redness and quite possibly scarring.

While the sun will help you get a tan, it also dries out the skin and could lead to skin irritation, premature aging and skin cancer. It will not clear up your acne. When venturing out into the sun make sure to wear sunscreen. It would be healthier.
Among girls, acne is said to be linked to the wearing of makeup; however, this is not entirely accurate. Non-acnegenic or noncomedogenic makeup will not lead to a breakout of acne; but if you are already a sufferer, it would be best to seek advice from a qualified dermatologist regarding the kinds of makeup you should use.

Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both active ingredients in most acne medication, actually lead to dry skin and increased blemishes if overly used. So the preconception that using more medicine is better for your skin is false. For repeated outbreaks a qualified dermatologist is still your best solution.

Understanding and dispelling the myths surrounding acne will hopefully help in its prevention or at least ease the effects and lessen the long term damage associated with this condition.

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1. Acne Is Your Fault / Acne Means You’re Dirty

False! No one knows the exact cause of acne, but we know it’s out of our control. Almost everyone experiences acne in adolescence, and many people still have blemishes and breakouts well into adulthood. Poor hygiene can make breakouts worse, but it won’t cause them in the first place. Even the cleanest people get zits.

2. Chocolate Gives You Zits

This is a long-held belief but has little scientific basis. There are a lot of conflicting opinions about what causes or does not cause acne in terms of dietary choices. While it doesn’t hurt to avoid fatty and oily foods (they’re unhealthy, anyway), there is no conclusive evidence that these cause acne in the first place. However, certain foods may trigger acne flare-ups, but these generally vary on an individual basis. Get to know how your body responds, and know that no single food causes pimple for everyone.

3. You Can’t Cure Acne, So There’s No Point Trying

While you can’t stop acne from happening, you can help control your symptoms. No, poor hygiene doesn’t cause acne, but it can certainly make it worse. Don’t just give up. Find a good face wash and moisturizer, or a specialized acne treatment regimen, or even see a dermatologist. Not trying at all WILL make your acne worse, so don’t’ just give up!

4. More Face Washing Means Fewer Zits

Surprisingly, this is false! Yes, it’s important to wash your face regularly. Yes, a good quality, dermatologist-approved face wash with acne-fighting ingredients can help you control your breakouts. But washing too much can actually do more harm than good. If you wash your face more than twice a day, you are very likely to dry your skin out. What does your skin do to fix the problem? It produces more oil. This causes more acne. Not good: don’t do it!

5. No One Else’s Acne Is This Bad

You are not alone! Acne is one of the most common skin conditions (if not THE most common) there is. Virtually everyone gets acne. The duration and severity of the acne will be different for everyone. But don’t feel as though you are ‘weird’ for having blemishes. Do the best you can to treat your symptoms now so that you can improve yourself esteem both immediately and in the long run.

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The first thing to realize about acne is that it’s not your fault. Yes, there are things you can do to make your acne worse. And yes there are things that you can and should do to help control your acne, which help reduce the extremity of breakouts, and help reduce the likelihood of scarring. But as to the existence of your acne itself: it’s not your fault. It happens to almost everyone and there’s nothing specific that you did to ‘cause’ it.

The Hormone Problem

Acne generally flares up during times in life when hormones are fluctuating, changing, or otherwise increased. This is why girls often experience acne differently throughout their monthly menstrual cycles: their hormones are changing. This is also why teenagers experience acne more strongly than any other age. As you go through puberty, your body is in a state of constant flux. Your hormones are bringing you from childhood to adulthood, and those hormones increase the oil that is produced on your face. This oil contributes to clogged pores, which then get infected, as well as feeds the bacteria that do the infecting and cause visible blemishes.

What You Can Do

You can’t stop your hormones from changing. However, you can help your skin be in the best condition possible to fight infection, heal quickly, and stay healthy to avoid scarring.

Use an acne face wash or scrub that uses one of the main acne fighting ingredients. Salicylic acid is a popular ingredient, as is benzoyl peroxide. Wash regularly (1-2 times a day), but not excessively. Extra washing can damage and dry out the skin, causing it to over-produce oil to balance this out, which only makes your acne worse.

Use a good moisturizer. Many moisturizers are on the market that are specifically designed to treat acne. They help fight infection, while keeping your face healthy and balanced.

Use sunscreen. Again, there are oil-free options. Protecting your skin from the sun keeps it healthy and allows it to heal faster when blemishes do arise.

What You Can Hope For

If over the counter treatment doesn’t work, try a more intensive, specialized acne regimen such as Proactiv, or see a dermatologist. Your acne will likely clear up as you get into your late teens and 20s. However, it’s important to practice good hygiene, protect your skin from sun damage, and avoid popping pimples, in order to reduce the likelihood of dealing with acne scars as an adult.

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Baby sleeping

A baby is a very precious gift to both its mother and its family. It is quite natural for everyone to pamper it with as much love and affection as possible. Despite being so careful in treating the baby, it is quite normal for mothers to notice that their baby breaks out into tiny red pimples, usually between the age of four weeks and six months. This condition is called baby acne, and is nothing to be so worried about.

Baby acne usually shows on the cheeks, forehead, chin and in some cases, even on the back. The specialty of baby acne is that it may appear strongly at times on the baby’s body, and sometimes, just disappear. It first appears as a reddish rash, with some pimples. Occasionally, you may also find some whiteheads.

Rough clothes can trigger baby acne

You find that these pimples are more pronounced when the baby is upset and overheated. It is also more pronounced when the baby’s skin is irritated by saliva and spit-up milk. Even fabric that is a little rough or clothes that have been washed in strong detergents tend to trigger baby acne.

It is not necessary for all babies to suffer from baby acne; however most of them do. Baby acne is more dominant on the baby’s cheeks, and other areas of the face.

Baby acne is said to be related to the mother’s hormone levels when giving birth. It is during childbirth, and some time before it that the mother’s hormones pass through the placenta to the baby.

Hormones stimulate oil production

This passing of the mother’s hormones to the baby’s placenta is a very important phase of childbirth as it stimulates important, last minute development in the baby’s body. This development includes increasing of lung size to make the baby ready to breathe air.

In addition to this development, hormones are also effective in stimulating oil production in the baby’s skin. And it is this increased oil levels in the baby’s skin that leads to baby acne.

Baby acne is nothing a mother should fret about. It is not only harmless, but usually takes care of itself over time. It is recommended that the mother wash the baby’s face with water everyday. Using a mild baby soap helps in clearing things up too.

Don’t apply any creams or oils

When your baby suffers from baby acne, it is not advised to put any creams or oils on the baby’s skin. This only worsens the condition. Moreover, never use any over the counter acne medicines on the skin, or scrub the baby’s skin. Remember, baby acne is not a result of dirt; extra washing of your baby’s skin only leads to irritation of the baby’s skin.

It is when the baby acne becomes severe, and lasts for more than six months that it is time for you to consult a pediatrician. The pediatrician will assess the severity of the baby acne, and correspondingly, either prescribe some gentle medication that will help in healing the condition, or tell you to let the acne run its own course. Remember that as the baby acne does not bother the baby, there is no need of it bothering you too!

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What causes back acne?

Just like facial acne, back acne is caused when your pores clog with built-up oil. The pores become irritated or even infected, which is what causes the reddish appearance, inflammation, and even raised ‘plug’ above the skin. Oil both clogs your pores and feeds the bacteria that causes infection.
Can I stop back acne from occurring?

There’s not much you can do to stop the oil from being produced: your skin is an organ, and oil is part of how it stays healthy and lubricated. Yes, you produce more oil when your hormones are in flux (such as during puberty), but there’s not much you can do about it.

Can I control my back acne?

You can certainly help reduce the symptoms, yes. As with facial acne, back acne benefits from washing with a body scrub that includes an acne-fighting agent. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are most common for over-the-counter purchases.

Back acne is also influenced by sweat, which can clog pores if left to sit for too long. After you exercise or play sports (or even sit outside in the sun and get hot enough to sweat), change out of your sweaty clothes into clean, dry garments. Or even better, take a quick shower. Wear “breathable” materials that don’t fit too tightly or roughly against your skin.

You can also see a dermatologist or consider a more intensive over-the-counter treatment regimen (Acnezine, etc.). Also, it’s important to protect your skin from sun damage. If your back is exposed to the sun (when swimming, etc.) wear high grade sunscreen! Sun damage not only leads to skin cancer, but can prevent your skin from being able to heal the blemishes you do have.

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How You See Yourself

Maybe you consider your acne to be your “worst” feature, but is far from your ONLY feature. Spend time focusing on the parts of your body you like best, rather than the parts you like least. Instead of worrying that others will notice a blemish, focus on the good features that you hope people will notice in a positive way.
As an individual, your identity is built on your strengths, not your weaknesses (Jim is “the guy who’s good at basketball” not “the guy who’s bad at bowling.”) Your physical identity is the same: Accentuate the parts you like best.

Dealing With It

We’ve got lots of other posts up about skin maintenance tips and acne triggers. There’s nothing you can do to stop acne from happening, but you can help manage the symptoms through good hygiene (skin hygiene and overall health tips, as well), healthy diet, and more. A light, non-pore-clogging cover-up or powder can also help minimize your acne’s appearance, which can definitely be a self esteem boost.

Acne Happens To Everyone: It’s Not Your Fault

Part of the self-esteem quagmire that acne suffers face is due to a (perceived) feeling of inferiority. It’s not your fault that you have acne any more than it’s your fault that your hair grows. There’s nothing that you did to CAUSE your acne. All you can do is maintain your skin to the best of your ability, or get in touch with a dermatologist if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

So look into dealing with your acne with good hygiene and treatment—and once you’re doing that, release yourself from blame. Don’t dwell on it. There are so many other things in life to focus on (school, work, friends, family, hobbies) that at some point, you just need to stop worrying.

So, in sum: Accept that acne happens (and that it will, for the majority of individuals, clear up as you get older), do what you can to deal with it, get help if you need it, and focus on the things you like about your body. There’s no magic spell to alleviate self esteem issues, but these are a few things you can do to start seeing yourself the way those around you do—for who you are and what you have to offer. Because those are what really define you.

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Cystic acne is not the most common type of acne, (acne vulgaris is), but it is an important type of acne to understand. While acne vulgaris causes pink bumps and inflammation through a region of the skin, cystic acne causes more serious blemishes, and is more likely to lead to scarring.

What Does Cystic Acne Look Like?

With cystic acne, the acne develops into small, cyst-like nodules of inflammation under the skin. Acne cysts are similar to, but more severe than, regular pimples. They show swelling and are filled with a white pus, but are larger in size and are often more painful, especially when the sufferer attempts to pop them. (See the discussion of scarring, below.)

Because cystic acne is more severe in appearance, and because it can spread under the skin, it can be extremely embarrassing for the sufferer. Acne is often a cause of low self esteem, so it is important for sufferers of cystic acne to understand that the cause of their outbreak is not their fault.

Where Does It Occur?

Cystic acne, like other forms of acne, is most common on the face. However, it can also occur on the shoulders or back, and even on the upper arms or legs.

What Causes Cystic Acne?

Like all forms of acne, the precise cause is not known. Acne can be made worse by stress and poor hygiene, but these are not the root causes, so staying clean and stress-free will not eliminate the acne. Especially with cystic acne, there is a common myth that this is caused by poor hygiene, but that is simply not the case. Acne results when pores become blocked and clog. The type of acne depends on how the pore behaves once it is clogged, and where the clog occurs (shallow or deep), as well as how an infection spreads or not.

Cystic Acne and Scarring

Cystic acne is known as the type of acne that is most likely to cause scarring. This is because of the way the acne cysts disrupt the natural smoothness of the skin. To reduce your likeliness of scarring, keep your skin in good condition.

Stay hydrated (the more hydrated your skin is, the faster it will heal and the more elastin it will have). Do not get too much sun (some sun can reduce the appearance of acne, but too much will further damage the skin, which makes healing even harder).

Treat your cystic acne with a topical antibiotic or other cream. Plenty of over the counter medicines are available, or see a dermatologist.

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Most people know that acne is most common among teenagers, so we almost expect them to have it. This isn’t simply because they are a certain age, but because of the way their bodies behave during puberty. The exact cause of acne has not been pinpointed, but we do know that increased hormone production tends to increase the severity of an acne outbreak.

This is because certain hormones increase the production of oils that lubricate the skin. With more oil, the pores are more likely to clog, and the bacteria on the skin have more ‘food’ to increase an outbreak.

However, it’s not only teenagers who have hormonal increases, AND it’s not only hormones that contribute to acne. Therefore, people of all ages can get acne—it’s perfectly normal, just less predictable in other populations than in teenagers and adolescents.

Acne and Adults

According to Acne.org, as many as 25% of adult men and 50% of adult women experience acne at some point in their adult lives. Whether that is a full outbreak or an occasional blemish here and there is unclear. What is clear is that having acne as an adult is not as uncommon as you might think.

Because acne is worsened by hormones, women are more likely to find blemishes at certain stages of their menstrual cycle. Both men and women can increase hormone production when they are stressed, and stress knows no gender. If you have a high-pressure job or are going through a stressful period, this could account for changes you see on your skin.

However, acne is also known to behave hereditarily, and some adults are prone to more severe acne, regardless of hormones and other factors. If your acne does not diminish as you age, you can consider visiting a dermatologist for more aggressive treatment than over the counter products provide.

Acne and Children

Rarely do young children have acne, but as puberty starts earlier and earlier, so will the symptoms that come with it. Acne is one of those symptoms, so it is no longer uncommon for children as young as 8 or 9 to start showing signs of acne. This is not typical, but it is generally nothing to be worried about. Start your child on an over the counter acne medication (a basic face wash should do), or consult a dermatologist if you have any questions or concerns.

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Body acne afflicts people of all ages, but most sufferers are those going through hormonal changes; puberty is the most common of all. Like facial acne, body acne is often a hereditary occurrence, passed on from parent to child. The causes and treatment of body acne are often very similar to those of facial acne. Also, like facial acne, no one is able to pinpoint the exact cause and fully eliminate the condition.

However, there are some things you can do to decrease the severity of your body acne outbreaks, and to help control your appearance and keep your skin healthy and looking better.

Where Body Acne Occurs

Body acne can be found anywhere you have pores, or hair follicles. The only places it cannot form are the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. That said, body acne is most common on the back, neck, legs, buttocks, and arms.

What Causes Body Acne

Body acne, like facial acne, is the result of clogged pores in the skin. These pores are clogged by skin debris (dead skin cells) and a buildup of oil. This oil is controlled by the glands that regulate hormones, which is why times of hormonal shifting (such as puberty) make body acne so common.

Preventing Body Acne

Because buildup of oil on the skin can clog your pores, preventing buildup is the best way to prevent body acne. If you work out, make sure to shower and change your clothes soon after. This keeps sweat and dirty clothes off your skin, allowing your pores to breathe and stay clear.

Use a body wash that contains medicine designed to reduce or eliminate acne. Salicylic acid is probably the most common acne-fighting ingredient in over-the-counter body washes. However, make sure not to over-wash your skin. Too much scrubbing can irritate your pores, and too much medicine can dry out the skin, causing your body to produce more oil to compensate. This will only make acne worse.

Dealing With Body Acne

Like any acne, body acne can make people feel embarrassed. Keep in mind that many people experience body acne: you are not alone. Resist using makeup to cover your body acne; it will only clog your pores more. If a body wash is not making a difference, consider seeing a dermatologist for professional treatment.

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