Acne is the most widespread skin diseases found in teenagers as well as adults. One of the most common symptoms of acne includes red spots and swelling on the skin. Acne can appear on almost any part of the body especially on parts with high sebaceous glands concentration like shoulders, neck, face and upper back. Some common symptoms of acne are:



•Whiteheads appears as a white bump under the skin or skin colored pimple. Whiteheads are caused by oil blockage in pore due to dead skin cells.

•Blackheads are small and dark in color. Blackheads appear when the dead skin cells block the pores. They are further aggravated by air exposure.

•Pus filled lesions are white colored pus spots which turns yellow with the passage of time.

•Pus filled small pimples formed around sweat glands or hair follicles are called nodules or pustules. They cause redness and pain on the affected area.

Acne can be divided in to several stages according to its severity like normal, worst etc. But for your convinence we will divide acne into different phases ranging from 0 to 8. Phase 0 to 2 indicates normal acne which can be treated with the acne face wash, over-the-counter acne products or lotions. Phases 3 to 8 indicates serious problem and it is advised to see a dermatologist in order to avoid scarring on the skin. Now we will discuss the different phases of acne.

Phase 0: This is your initial introduction to acne. This is the very start of acne and it can be indicated by a mild breakout of whiteheads or blackheads. But there is nothing to worry about at this stage. It can easily be treated with a mild acne face wash.

Phase I: At this phase you might face meek irritation and inflammation on your skin. A mild acne wash and other over the counter acne products like benzyl peroxide can be helpful in this phase.

Phase II: You can say that this phase is an extension of phase I. Some papules appear on the skin but still it is not very serious. You can replace your cleanser with a slightly stronger cleanser containing 2% salicylic acid followed by regular use of benzyl peroxide.

Phase III: If your skin condition persists than you should be a bit worried. But this situation is not serious enough to consult a dermatologist. You can still treat this acne with a cleanser and benzyl peroxide.

Phase IV: If your acne still persists and pustules start to appear on the skin than this is the time to get worried and consult a dermatologist.

Phase V: This phase is similar to previous phase but the only difference is that pustules start to increase in number causing irritation on the skin.

Phase VI-VII: These two stages are very serious and you should start your acne treatment as soon as possible and do not discontinue this treatment. Nodules and cysts appearing on your skin might penetrate deep into your skin causing acne scars.

Phase VIII: This is the last stage of acne. Breakouts consisting of cysts deep in the skin and pus filled pimples on the skin can leave their mark in the shape of acne scars.

Acne outbreaks should be treated immediately to reduce the mental and physical stress in teenagers as well as to avoid scarring. Acne treatment is not very complicated but it may take some time to show results so you should be patient during the treatment.