Define Acne - What Is Acne Vulgaris?

To define acne, I turned to the clinical definition according to the American Academy of Dermatology, which is as follows:

"Acne is a skin condition involving plugged pores, inflamed pimples and deeper lumps (nodules) occurring on the face as well as the neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms."

WHAT IS ACNE VULGARIS?

Acne is a skin disease that is very common. It affects about 60-70% of Americans during some time of their life. As you can see, from the above definition, acne vulgaris, which means "common acne", consists of noninflammatory comedones (whiteheads and blackheads) and inflammatory papules (small, raised, solid pimple), pustules small, raised blister or pimple containing pus), and nodules (large painful pimples).

In addition, the sebaceous glands are the oil-producing glands, which are in charge of the production of sebum. When an excessive amount of sebum (oil) is produced, the skin becomes oily. When the pores are blocked because of the excess oil, acne will begin to form. Acne occurs when bacteria grows inside of the hair follicles that are blocked. This in turn will cause inflammation.

In other words, you may define acne as inflammation of the skin because of excessive activity of the oil glands that are situated at the bottom of the hair follicles.

Oil glands which are situated directly underneath the skin continue to create and permit oil to exit the body via the skin openings. As the openings are blocked by the oil and dead skin cells, which develop under the skin's surface, acne in its various forms emerges.

Basically, acne can be broken down to encompass the following:

• Open Comedones - blackheads rise to the skin's surface and have a black center.

• Closed Comedones - whiteheads stay under the skin's surface.

• Papules - pimples that do not contain fluid, might be tender to the touch.

• Pustules - inflamed papule that contains pus. They have a yellow or white center and a reddish base.

• Nodules - large, painful papules that is deep within the skin.

• Cysts - Large, pus-filled pimples that are deep within the skin and may cause scars.

There are four grades of acne and each is determined by the number of blackheads, pimples, whiteheads, pustules (which are lesions that contain pus), or cysts (which are larger pustules that usually have inflammation and go deeper under the skin) that are present. There is no hard and fast rule that states if a person has "X" number of pimples and "X" number of blackheads, etc. they fall into a specific category. It is all a judgment call based upon a physician's visual exam and determination. The following is guidelines is what an esthetician uses to understand the type of acne he/she is dealing with:

Grade I - Minor breakouts, mostly open comedones, some closed comedones, and a few papules and pustules.

Grade II - Many closed comedones, more open comedones, and more papules and pustules.

Grade III - Red and inflamed, many papules and pustules.

Grade IV) - Cystic acne. Cysts with comedones, papules, pustules, and inflammation are present.

Now you can define acne. If you would like to learn more about What Causes Acne, I've set-up an entire page to address this particular issue.

Here's another article that talks about What Causes Pimples.

If you would like to learn about the correlation between Stress and Acne, here's an article that addresses that issue.