Is acne the same as pimples?

Acne is a very common skin disease. More and more people are suffering from acne, mainly because people do not pay attention to cleaning and caring for their skin. If you suffer from acne, your pores will be blocked, causing toxic substances to be unable to be discharged, and then forming acne on the human skin. Acne is mostly a physiological phenomenon that occurs during adolescence. So, is acne the same as pimples?

1. Is acne the same as pimples?

Acne, also known as acne, is a skin disease caused by blockage and inflammation of hair follicles and sebaceous glands. During adolescence, hormones in the body stimulate hair growth and promote the sebaceous glands to secrete more oil. As a result, many substances accumulate in the hair and sebaceous glands, causing oil and bacteria to adhere, causing redness and swelling of the skin. Since this symptom is common in young men and women, it is called acne.

2. Causes of acne

In fact, not all teenagers will get acne, and acne does not necessarily only appear on teenagers. The cause of acne (acne) is clear, it is caused by infection with anaerobic Propionibacterium acnes, but it is a multifactorial disease. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the face, nose, chest and back belong to the lungs, and this disease is often caused by wind-heat in the lung meridian blocking the skin; or due to overeating of fatty, greasy, and spicy foods, heat accumulation in the spleen and stomach, endogenous dampness and heat, which fumigates the face; or due to the young body, the blood and qi are strong, the yang heat rises, fighting against the wind and cold, and blocking the muscles.

Acne is caused by endocrine disorders or poor oil secretion. Endocrine imbalance has always been an important culprit for acne. Acne is common in young people aged 14-24. The sebum composition on the patient's skin surface changes during puberty, which is related to the increase of androgen. For some young women, acne changes with the menstrual period, which also shows that acne is related to changes in sex hormones in the body.

People with oily skin are more prone to acne. Oily skin has overdeveloped sebaceous glands and excessive sebum secretion. If the pores are clogged or oil cannot be discharged smoothly due to other reasons, the sebaceous glands will continue to secrete, and sebum will accumulate in the pores, bulging into acne.

3. What is the difference between acne and pimples?

Acne is a general term, which is characterized by excessive sebum, abnormal keratinization and blockage of hair follicles, forming comedones, papules (pimples) and even pustules, cysts or nodules. Comedones are a type of acne and can be said to be the initial stage of acne. The mildest acne is comedones (Grade I). That is, the pores are blocked by keratin plugs, and may have a small opening (black acne) or no opening (white acne). There is no suppuration around the pores, and inflammation represented by redness is mild or absent.