Acne vulagris is a skin condition that manifests itself with anything from relatively mild pimples to large, inflamed pumps. Different lesions form in different ways, and some even have long-term effects. Nodules fall into the category of severe, inflamed pimples and must be treated carefully to avoid permanent damage. Some nodules require medical attention if they are particularly severe.
Definition
Acne is a skin problem common among teenagers, starting around puberty and affect 80 percent of them, according to KidsHealth.org. This issue also afflicts adults and is often linked to a woman's menstrual cycle. The skin's oil glands secrete too much of a substance called sebum, which mixes with the dead skin cells everyone normally sheds. This follicle-blocking mixture causes pimples, which may represent a partially-clogged hair follicle or a full blockage. Bacteria often gets into the mix, and pimples can get inflamed and even filled with pus.
Types
Nodules are just one pimple type. The most common acne skin lesions are whiteheads and blackheads, noninflammatory pimples called comedones that come from full or partial follicle blockages. A whitehead is completely closed, while a blackhead is partially open to the skin surface, creating a black spot from a chemical reaction of the skin's pigment. Papules and pustules are more severe, although they are not as bad as nodules. These pimples are inflamed, and pustules are pus-filled. Nodules are large, deep, long-lasting pimples that may repetitively crop up and eventually cause a scar. These pimples are very visible and painful.
Treatment
Home acne treatment generally involves over-the-counter products with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as the active ingredient, and comedones usually respond to these medications. Inflamed pimple types more stubborn, and nodules often require medical intervention to keep them from recurring or permanently scarring you. Doctors sometimes inject these pimples with cortisone to bring down the swelling. Never scratch a nodule, even if it itches intensely, because this irritates and worsens the lesion.
Considerations
You have several treatment options if your nodules scar you permanently. Dermatologists use treatments like dermabrasion and microdermabrasion, which resurface the skin, or injectable soft tissue fillers like collagen that fill out scarred areas. Surgery is available for more difficult cases, and newer scar treatment techniques include using lasers to destroy the upper skin layer, causing new skin to form.
Warning
Cysts are a worse type of acne than nodules that almost always cause scarring. Severe cysts may need treatment with a medication called isotretinoin. This drug has potentially serious side effects and is only used for the worst cases under a doctor's close supervision.
Member Comments