What is the Difference between Acne and Pimples?

The primary difference between acne and pimple is that acne is a disease and pimples are one of its symptoms.

Acne is a condition that affects the skin’s hair follicles and oil glands. The pores that are present under your skin are connected to glands that generate an oily substance known as sebum. The glands and pores are connected to each other by a canal called the follicle which has thin hair that grows out to the skin’s surface.

So when the sebum and dead skin cells come together, they create a plug in the follicle. The bacteria present in the plug causes inflammation which leads to red pimples in acne.

What’s the root cause behind acne?

Even though the exact cause of acne hasn’t been identified. Although, certain things are there that can trigger acne or make it worse, like:

1. Hormonal changes such as puberty, menstrual cycle, and pregnancy can trigger acne

2. When you squeeze or pick existing pimples

3. When you clean or scrub your skin too vigorously

4. High humidity weather

5. When you use too many cosmetics or experiment with them, harmful hair products and oil-based products like sunscreen.

6. Medications like corticosteroids and anabolic steroids

7. Dandruff in hair can cause acne on forehead.

What are the symptoms of acne?

 Everybody is different and so are symptoms. Hence, different symptoms indicate different kinds of acne. Like:

1. If you have blackheads: they are open, plugged pores on the skin’s surface

2. If you have whiteheads: they are close plugged pores, under the skin’s surface

3. If you have papules: they are small, tender red/pink bumps

4. If you have pustules: they are papules that have pus on top

5. If you have nodules: they are large and painful lumps, deep under the skin’s surface

6. If you have cysts: they can be painful and pus-filled lumps, present under the skin’s surface

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions that affect people irrespective of how old they are. Without a doubt, it is a difficult condition to prevent and even more difficult to treat. There are certain natural remedies and anti-acne soaps or clear gel for pimples are said to provide relief.

In case the problem still persists, we recommend that you visit your dermatologist. They often prescribe a topical retinoid for your acne, like topical tretinoin or adapalene.