Having trouble diagnosing your acne? If you suspect that these outbreaks of zits are due to acne, let us see how you can put these suspicions to test.Acne is a common affliction for many teenagers. Most people suffer from a mild form of acne during their teenage years, a form that will entirely clear up or disappear by the time they reach their mid-twenties.
However, the teenage years are typically a time of racing hormones and psychological ‘ups and downs’ that can result in your suffering from the sporadic pimple or blackhead. This could be due to various trigger factors such as poor dietary habits, stress, or even improper hygiene. Some skin troubles may clear up automatically once this trigger factor has been removed.
Acne, on the other hand, does not always have a clear and definite cause. This makes the self-diagnosis of acne a little tricky. A visual check can confirm if you have acne or not.
If you think you have acne, take a good look at your skin before the mirror. Some key symptoms to look out for when diagnosing acne include the periodic recurrence of blackheads or whiteheads scattered on the skin. Reddened skin around the zit, occasional irritation of the skin, itching, and inflammation are also characteristics of acne.
Is acne present only on the face? Many people believe that they don’t have acne just because they never get any facial pimples. However, acne can occur on any part of the body.
Commonly affected areas include the trunk of the body – including the chest and back, the upper arms, neck, and even the stomach and thighs in some rare cases.
Ordinary pimples will often clear up without leaving any blemishes on the skin. Acne, however, can cause low grade to severe scarring. This is why doctors recommend that the zit be left alone to heal on its own. Bursting or squeezing the pimple can result in a small depression or scar being left on the skin. The typical acne scar is known as an ‘ice pick scar’ for its elongated shape and irregular edges. This is another key diagnostic factor for acne.
Once you have confirmed the presence of acne, the next thing you need to do is to determine the severity. Acne can be mild, moderate, or severe.
In mild cases of acne, the marks left over from an attack may be merely reddened or darker than the surrounding regions of skin. This darkening is another sign of acne and is known as pigmentation. Such pigmentation will eventually fade away over several weeks. The pigmentation can also be reduced with the aid of peeling ointments. You can get such ointments over the counter or from your local GP.
Acne can also appear in a cyst-like or nodular pattern. This is the most severe version of acne and requires medical help for treatment. Cystic acne is easily recognizable due to the size and appearance of the acne lesions or boils.
I hope this has helped you in your search on diagnosing acne. Just remember, keep it visual!