A pimple is red and is often raised bumps on the skin affecting the face, neck, shoulders, and back area. If a pimple bursts under the skin and sends bacteria into the surrounding tissues, it is then called a papule. If the papule goes even deeper under the skin, it's called a pustule. It might not be as red as other pimples but may have a white enter and be very painful. If it goes even deeper in the skin, it is then called a cyst. These are very serious and should be treated by a trained professional who will recommend topical ointments or a prescription drug to help in clearing it up.

Propionibacterium acnes are normally found on the skin. It increases during puberty as it uses sebum as a growth nutrient. Some people just have more of this bacterium on their skill. When that happens, and it collects in pore and hair follicles and draws white blood cells to that follicle. These white blood cells produce an enzyme that fights the bacteria they see as a foreign body and tries to destroy it.

A normal follicle has sebum that is produced by a sebaceous gland. This fills the hair follicle and spreads over the skin surface that gives the skin an oily appearance. If all is working correctly, this gives your face a healthy and moisturized look. Problems occur when the sebum is trapped in the hair follicle and cells that normally slough off plug up their hair follicles. This is what is commonly called blackheads and whiteheads, the medical term being comedones. It's a whitehead if the oil has broken through to the surface. It's called a blackhead if the oxygen in the air oxidizes the oil and it changes from white to black.

If the pimple inflammation is right near the surface, it's called a pustule, a papule if it's deeper in the skin, and a cyst if it is deeply burrowed into the skin. A mild case of can consists of dome-shaped lesions that contain pus over a blocked follicle. Normally, these follicles have a hair in the center. This type of acne is usually healed and doesn't progress to the next stage and heals without leaving scars. If the infection goes deeper, it becomes a pustule and then a cyst. These more serious forms of acne will cause deep scarring if not treated properly.

It doesn't help to 'pick' at these pimples in whatever form you have them. By picking or squeezing, you can add additional bacteria into the area and make the outbreak worse instead of better. Your hands or fingers may have bacteria that you don't even know about that can aggravate the condition of your acne. A good rule to remember is to keep your face clean and your hands off your face. If you have abnormally oily hair, it's extremely important to keep your hair away from your face. Keep your pillowslip clean, change it every other day, and keep your hair pulled back when you are sleeping.