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A pimple is a result of a blockage of the skin
Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
's pore
Pore

Pore may refer to:In animal biology and microbiology:* Sweat pore, an anatomical structure of the skin of humans used for secretion of sweat...
. It can be a pustule
Pustule

A 'pustule' is a small elevation of the skin containing purulent material usually consisting of necrotic inflammatory cells.No absolute size, or range of sizes, is specified in this definition, as there seems to be no general consensus within the literature, reflected in the text Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clin...
 or papule
Papule

A papule is a circumscribed, solid elevation of skin with no visible fluid, varying in size from a pinhead to 1 cm.With regard to the quote "...varying in size from a pinhead to 1cm," depending on which text is referenced, some authors state the cutoff between a papule and a Plaque as 0.5cm, not 1cm, while ot...
.

de the pore are sebaceous gland
Sebaceous gland

Sebaceous glands are small glands in the skin which secrete an oily matter in the hair follicles to lubricate the skin and hair of animals. In humans, they are found in greatest abundance on the face and scalp, though they are distributed throughout all skin sites except the palms and soles....
s which produce sebum. When the outer layers of skin shed (as they do continuously), the dead skin cells left behind may become 'glued' together by the sebum. This causes a blockage in the pore, especially when the skin becomes thicker at puberty
Puberty

Puberty refers to the process of physical changes by which a child's body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. Puberty is initiated by hormone signals from the brain to the gonads ....
. The sebaceous glands produce more sebum which builds up behind the blockage, and this sebum harbours various bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
 including the species Propionibacterium acnes
Propionibacterium acnes

Propionibacterium acnes is a relatively slow growing, typically aerotolerant anaerobic gram positive bacterium that is linked to the skin condition acne vulgaris; it can also cause chronic blepharitis and endophthalmitis, the latter particularly following intraocular surgery....
.






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Encyclopedia


A pimple is a result of a blockage of the skin
Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
's pore
Pore

Pore may refer to:In animal biology and microbiology:* Sweat pore, an anatomical structure of the skin of humans used for secretion of sweat...
. It can be a pustule
Pustule

A 'pustule' is a small elevation of the skin containing purulent material usually consisting of necrotic inflammatory cells.No absolute size, or range of sizes, is specified in this definition, as there seems to be no general consensus within the literature, reflected in the text Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clin...
 or papule
Papule

A papule is a circumscribed, solid elevation of skin with no visible fluid, varying in size from a pinhead to 1 cm.With regard to the quote "...varying in size from a pinhead to 1cm," depending on which text is referenced, some authors state the cutoff between a papule and a Plaque as 0.5cm, not 1cm, while ot...
.

Causes

Inside the pore are sebaceous gland
Sebaceous gland

Sebaceous glands are small glands in the skin which secrete an oily matter in the hair follicles to lubricate the skin and hair of animals. In humans, they are found in greatest abundance on the face and scalp, though they are distributed throughout all skin sites except the palms and soles....
s which produce sebum. When the outer layers of skin shed (as they do continuously), the dead skin cells left behind may become 'glued' together by the sebum. This causes a blockage in the pore, especially when the skin becomes thicker at puberty
Puberty

Puberty refers to the process of physical changes by which a child's body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. Puberty is initiated by hormone signals from the brain to the gonads ....
. The sebaceous glands produce more sebum which builds up behind the blockage, and this sebum harbours various bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
 including the species Propionibacterium acnes
Propionibacterium acnes

Propionibacterium acnes is a relatively slow growing, typically aerotolerant anaerobic gram positive bacterium that is linked to the skin condition acne vulgaris; it can also cause chronic blepharitis and endophthalmitis, the latter particularly following intraocular surgery....
. Pimples can often be caused by stress.

Treatment


Over-the-counter medications

Common over-the-counter medications
Over-the-counter drug

Over-the-counter drugs are medications that may be sold to a customer without a medical prescription. The term "over-the-counter" is somewhat counter-intuitive, since these items can often be found on the shelves of stores and bought like any other packaged product in some countries in contrast to prescription drug which are more likely to l...
 for pimples are benzoyl peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide is a chemical in the organic peroxide family. It consists of two benzoyl groups joined by a peroxide group. Acceptable condensed structural formulae would include C6H5-COO-OOC-C6H5, PhCO-O-O-COPh, and 2O2....
 and/or salicylic acid
Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid with the chemical formula C6H4COOH, where the OH group is adjacent to the carboxylic acid....
. Both medications can be found in many creams and gels used to treat acne through topical application. Both medications help skin slough off more easily, which helps to remove bacteria faster. A regimen of keeping the affected skin area clean plus the regular application of these topical medications is usually enough to keep acne under control, if not at bay altogether. 1-2% of the population is allergic to benzoyl peroxide treatments.

Prescription medication

Severe acne usually indicates the necessity of prescription medication to treat pimples. Prescription medications used to treat acne include isotretinoin
Isotretinoin

Isotretinoin is a medication used for the treatment of moderate to severe Acne vulgaris. It is sometimes used as a chemotherapy medication for prevention and treatment of certain skin cancers....
, which is a retinoid
Retinoid

The retinoids are a class of chemical compounds that are related chemically to vitamin A. Retinoids are used in medicine, primarily due to the way they regulate epithelial cell growth....
. Historically, antibiotics such as tetracyclines and erythromycin
Erythromycin

Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic that has an antimicrobial spectrum similar to or slightly wider than that of penicillin, and is often used for people who have an allergy to penicillins....
 were prescribed. While they were more effective than topical applications of benzoyl peroxide, the bacteria eventually grew resistant to the antibiotics and the treatments became less and less effective. Also, antibiotics had more side effects than topical applications, such as stomach cramps and severe discoloration of teeth.

See also


  • Acne vulgaris
    Acne vulgaris

    Acne vulgaris is a skin condition caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units . Severe acne is inflammation, but acne can also manifest in noninflammatory forms....