What is Pimple? Symptoms and Treatment Methods

What is pimple, why does it occur? What are the pimple treatment methods? How can I get rid of acne? In which people does it occur?

What is Pimple?

Pimple is a common skin condition that results in clogging of hair follicles and sebaceous glands (oil-producing glands under the skin), causing Pimple.

If the body is producing large amounts of sebum (the oil that keeps our skin moist), dead skin cells can become trapped inside the pores and cause white or blackheads. Bacteria living on the skin are also trapped in the pore, causing inflamed pimples to appear. It usually occurs on the face, forehead, chest, upper back, and shoulders. Although Pimple affects people of all ages, it is most common among teenagers.

Pimple is a skin disease that can be seen in the 30s, 40s and older ages, although it is seen in 85 percent of young people in adolescence. A typical pimple is in the form of small blisters with a red, yellow tip with or without inflammation, black dots called open comedones and small white bumps called closed comedones, and sometimes larger cyst-like structures.

Pimple can be triggered or aggravated by hormones, medications, and carbohydrate-rich foods.

Why Pimple(Acne) Occurs?

When the skin pores are clogged, it creates a suitable breeding environment for the bacteria in the pores; This bacterial growth causes inflammation over time. Acne can have several causes:

Some drugs
Overactivity of a type of hormone (androgens)
Skin production of excess oil
Pores clogged by oil and dead skin cells
Pimple tightening, irritation
Pollution (prepares the environment for bacteria formation)
Smoking triggers acne breakouts
Irritation from moisture or sun exposure

Changes in Hormone Level

Adolescence period
Menstrual cycle
Pregnancy
Birth control pills
Stress

Changes in hormones, especially during puberty, can also cause changes in the skin of people. With this hormonal effect, the amount of oil produced in the skin increases. The increase in the activity of the sebaceous glands causes the cells to accumulate and clog in the parts of these glands that open outwards, thus initiating the first phase of acne formation.

Then, with the growth of bacteria, an inflammatory condition occurs. This picture leads to black and white spots, pus-filled swellings, red spots and even the formation of cystic structures the size of a hazelnut. Pimple rashes are seen on oily areas such as the face, back, shoulders and chest.

Cosmetic materials and intensive use of cosmetics are among the most important causes of acne developing after puberty. Some cosmetic products can cause acne on the skin months after they start to be used. It is important to examine the acne-causing potentials well in the selection of cosmetic products.

Excessive stress alone can cause pimple. In addition, even when a person is under intense stress, he can sometimes unwittingly scrape a small acne or roughness he finds on his skin with his nails and turn it into a wound. This reveals a picture that does not respond to acne treatment and leaves scars and stains. In such a situation, getting psychological support as well as acne treatment is important for the success of the treatment.

The side effects of some drug treatments can cause acne. At the beginning of the drugs that cause acne, long-term cortisone treatments are taken by mouth. Steroids used by athletes, some drugs and long-term use of B vitamins can also cause acne or aggravate existing pimple. For this reason, patients who go to a dermatologist with acne complaints should inform their doctor about the names of the drugs and vitamins they use.

There is no proven relationship between diet and acne. However, recent studies indicate that the consumption of processed carbohydrates exacerbates acne. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to a healthy diet.

Skin structure is an important factor in acne formation. Studies show that people with oily skin and enlarged pores are more prone to adult acne. Adult acne is divided into two as ‘adolescent acnes that continue until adulthood’ or ‘those that appear in adulthood’. Adolescent pimple is more common in men, while adult acne is more common in women. Adult pimple tends to become inflamed and leave scars.

Scientific studies reveal that there is a relationship between post-adolescent acne and cigarette smoking. Excess smoking causes an increase in the severity of acne.

Acne (Pimples) Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of pimple vary depending on the severity of your condition:

White pimples
Black dots
Small red, tender bumps (papules)
Large, solid, lumps (nodules) under the skin’s surface that can be painful
Pus-filled lumps (cystic lesions) under the skin’s surface that can be painful

Often, acne inflammation causes general redness and tenderness. As acne progresses, additional symptoms may include dark spots and scars. Early treatment can prevent severe dark spots and scars from developing before acne progresses to cysts and nodules.

Acne (Pimple) Treatment Methods

Pimple is a treatable condition; However, not all acne is treated in the same way. For this reason, it is most appropriate to plan and monitor pimple treatment by specialist physicians. The type and duration of treatment is determined according to the severity and prevalence of acne, and the age of the person, taking into account the general health status of the person. The treatment of acne does not end in a short time like 1–2 weeks; It should be accepted from the beginning that it will be long-term.

Some of the treatment methods used are: