Skin is the largest organ in the body. An acne lesion (pimple) grows when bacteria, oils and dead skin fill up and inflame pores, the tiny openings in your skin through which oil and sweat rise to the surface. Sometimes clogged pores are small and result in “whiteheads or blackheads.” Sometimes these pores become inflamed and lead to other types of acne. The types of acne that leads to scarring includes:
- Papules: Pink to red bumps that hurt when you touch them.
- Pustules: Pus-filled lesions. They’re red at the base and white or yellow at the top.
- Nodules: Solid lesions. They’re larger than papules and pustules and can hurt more because they extend deeper into the skin.
- Cysts: Cysts lie deep within the skin. They’re painful, full of pus and are most likely to scar.
Acne scars take on two main forms: either a scar develops when there is a loss of tissue, resulting in an indentation in the surface of the skin; or, a scar develops that is raised on the surface of the skin. Acne scars on the face, chest and back are very common. Some 80% of people between ages 11 and 30 will get acne, and one out of five of those people will develop scars. Reducing the scars requires treatment.