What are pimples?
You are troubled by pimples, blackheads, whiteheads and cysts, but have you ever wondered about what they are, how they are caused and the difference between them? If you have then we have some useful information to answer just that.
What are pimples?
Lets start with pimples. These are red, inflamed raised skin lesions that contain a small amount of pus, they are often used synonymously with the term acne. They usually develop after blackheads or whiteheads become infected, and are caused by clogged or infected pores.
How do pimples develop?
A pimple starts when a pore (an opening in the skin) gets plugged or clogged up. The pore has a tiny hair in it with oil glands at its base. The cells which line the pores are so small that they can only be seen with a microscope. During adolescence these cells are shed quickly. In some people the cells and oil stick together and form sebum which plugs the pore. Now for the subtle difference between white and blackheads. If the pore is open, the result is a blackhead formation . And if the pore is closed, a whitehead is formed.
The whitehead is the beginning of a pimple. It forms when the sebum escapes from the pore wall and gets under the skin. The body tries to clean out the sebum and brings in the white blood cells to do the work. The result is a pimple. When the sebum gets deeper under the skin, a cyst can form. Some pimples may even be painful.
Here are some in-depth definitions of these acne-related terms:
Blackheads: Blackheads are open plugged oil glands (the oil turns black when it’s exposed to the air). It should be remembered that unless they are squeezed, blackheads do not usually cause pimples. Blackheads are not black from dirt, but from certain skin pigments (coloring) in the cells of the pores.
Whiteheads: Also known as a closed comedo, whiteheads are nothing but the closed plugged oil glands.
Pustule: These are red, inflamed, infected plugged oil glands, sometimes filled with pus.
Cyst: A cyst is a deep and uncomfortable swelling of the skin. In severe cases of acne, cysts (large fluid-filled bumps) may develop under the skin.
Several products may be used to help prevent pimples, pustules or blackheads. Read our reviews for the top natural acne treatments you can use to manage your acne problems.