Health and Fitness

We, in one time or another, may have experienced acne especially during our teenage years where acne is most active. We could have been experiencing whiteheads or that simple blackhead, but some people may have experienced a more severe form of acne called cystic acne. What is cystic acne then, and what are the causes of cystic acne? Cystic acne is considered the most severe of all the types of 'common acne'. The skin lesions in cystic acne are deep, inflamed and painful. It is almost similar to acne characterized by nodules but the bumps in the skin are filled with pus and are larger that it can even stretch to a few centimeters. Sometimes the bumps on the skin appear in large groups and widespread. Acne characterized by cysts does not only appear in the face, but like the other common acne, it can also appear in the chest, shoulders and even in the scalp. The exact causes of cystic acne is not yet known. There are cases that it is linked to genetic factors, and there might have been myths about certain food that causes acne, but they were not found to be the real causes of acne. However, some food are identified to be triggering factors, which makes the existing acne worse. Acne starts from pores in the skin that are blocked by oil in the skin, thus anything that may cause clogging of the pores may trigger acne breakouts. Using oil-based makeup for instance can clog pores that may trigger acne. Other identified triggering factors are direct exposure to sunlight, tight clothing and helmets, rubbing or scrubbing the skin and of course, picking the skin lesions. The primary causes of cystic acne has not yet been determined, but it but they are identified to develop from clogged pores blocked by excess oil in the skin as well as dead skin cells. When bacteria found on the skin live and grow on clogged pores, it can cause infection and inflammation. The infection can lead to deeper nodules and may develop pus. The skin lesions may grow larger as well. When acne starts, it is important to be observant of the skin lesions. In some instances acne starts from the formation of milder forms like blackheads and whiteheads but some may appear directly into its severe form like the nodules or cysts. Cystic acne is considered severe and affects not only the surface but also deep into the skin, thus it also develops small to large scars as well as deep ones that are often permanent and are hard to treat. One should also resist the urge to squeeze the lesions because it can worsen the scarring and may lead to the formation of pits that can only be treated by surgery, Cystic acne, when it occurs in large groups can even lead to more damage in the cells that may lead to a more severe type of acne, the acne conglobata, where there is then the formation of abscesses that are lodged deep into the skin. Worst, this type of acne is a very disfiguring type and most often needs help from a dermatologist. We may not be able to know the real causes of cystic acne, but it is very important to give utmost care to our skin as scarring caused by severe acne may be difficult to treat and may cause irreparable psychological damage to our lives.