What Are The Different Types Of Acne?

Acne is caused by the bacteria propionibacterium acne, or p. acne for short. P.acne only grows on the surface of the skin causing the characteristic redness and skin eruptions that are associated with acne.

If these skin eruptions do not contain p.acne then they aren’t acne. Unfortunately whether or not your get acne in life is largely determined by your genes, so if your parents had acne when they were younger, then there is a good chance that you or one of your brothers or sisters will also get it.

However just because you have acne genes doesn’t necessarily mean that your face is doomed to a lifetime of inflammation and pus filled eruptions. All it means is that you are more susceptible to developing acne.

The good news is that by using the right skin care products, living the right type of lifestyle and using certain acne medication you can greatly control the rate at which acne appears and its severity.

But in order to control acne you first need to understand it, so let’s have a look at the different types of acne you can get.

Types Of Acne

Acne can range from mild to severe. The following are the six main types of acne.

Grade One Acne

Grade one acne is the ideal state for a person with an acne skin type. During this stage acne is inactive, which means your skin looks normal and is not inflamed with no skin eruptions.

Grade Two Acne

Grade two acne is characterised by the appearance of whiteheads and blackheads. During this stage you may also have some small red bumps on your skin.

Grade Three Acne

Grade three acne occurs when your skin experiences mild inflammation and skin eruptions.

Grade Four Acne

In grade four acne your skin has visible pustules, inflamed pores that look red and contain pus under the surface.

Grade Five Acne

Acne at the grade five level is more serve, with hard nodules or cysts under the surface of the skin that may be sensitive to the touch.

Grade Six Acne

The most severe form of acne is grade six, which means your acne is completely active.

As a result you are likely to experience whiteheads, blackheads, pustules and cysts. Your skin will look very red and inflamed, and will be painful to touch.

Dealing With Acne

If you have acne on the top end of the scale (grade 4-6) then you need to see a dermatologist about your skin.

They will be able to recommend to you what skin care products you should use, talk to you about the type of lifestyle you live and if necessary recommend a prescription acne medication to you.