What Type of Acne is This? • Identifying Your Pimple

Dec 31, 2020

What Type of Acne is This?

We’ve all been there. 8 in the morning, blurred eyes staring into a mirror trying to figure out WTF happened to our face overnight. How we went from pristine smoothness to the mountains and valleys and all sorts of weird bumps. It happens. It’s ok. Acne sucks.

When it comes to covering these different types of zits, the problem is: pimples come in many shapes, sizes, and varieties. You can have acne on the front of your neck, on your back, on your shoulder, on you butt, on your chin, in your hair, pretty much everywhere. The suckers don’t miss a spot to freeload. And frankly, it can be hard to figure out how to cover them. They all have different textures, some ooze pus, some are buried deep in your face, and some have been there for as long as you can remember. But before you play pop the weasel with your face, hear us out. We have mad facts for you on acne.

Below, we’ll break out some descriptions used to identify different types of acne you might encounter.

Types of acne: whiteheads, blackheads, cystic, papules, pustules, nodules

Types of Acne:

Blackheads: What are blackheads?

We never condone popping of zits because it can be a big time nono. But geez popping a ripe ole blackhead feels pretty freaking good. The down and dirty on blackheads is that they’re open pores which get filled with oil, dirt, and other debris and then harden to form little black dots. You might often find these on your nose and chin.

Whiteheads: What are whiteheads?

These might be the most pop-culturally recognizable zit. The whitehead is similar to a blackhead however it has a lid and forms a white center that you can see through the skin. These are very tempting to pop but DO NOT! It can leave scars and cause more pimples so resist the temptation to lop its dome off.

Cystic Acne: What is cystic acne?

Cystic acne, in layman’s terms, is when there are cysts that build underneath the skin and fill with pus. They don’t always come to a head but can feel like a hard bump in your chin. They’re usually pretty painful and require dermatologists’ help. Seek dermatologist help if you have persistent cystic acne.

Pustules: What are pustules?

Pustules look similar to whiteheads but they’re filled with puss and are often deeper rooted.

Papules: What are papules?

Papules are elevated reddish areas on the skin that don’t have a noticeable head. These result from skin irritation.

Nodules: What are nodules?

Nodules are similar to cystic acne except they aren’t filled with pus and therefore can’t be popped. These also require dermatological treatment to get rid of.

Other

There are other skin conditions that can cause redness and skin irritation. If you find your acne is hard to identify, seek a dermatologist near you to get the jump on your skin.

Covering Different Types of Acne

So now that you’ve identified a pimple, how should you go about covering it? It’s important to note that if you have severe acne that takes up a lot of space on your face covering it might not be advisable. Spot treating a pimple or five isn’t too much of an issue. But long-term skin care is needed to treat more severe and painful acne. Here's a list of acne that's ok to cover and those that you should perhaps wait to cover prior to a dermatologist visit.

Acne Types That Are Ok To Cover: