Acne Glossary

Nodulocystic acne is a very severe and rare form of acne that classifies large sore hard acne bumps, as well as big acne lesions filled with pus. This is a very serious skin condition as these cysts ar...

Before a comedo (blackhead or whitehead) is fully formed it is a microcomedo. These are not yet visible on the surface of the skin as they are only visible under a microscope at this stage.

Lipids are substances made up of oils that compose the sebum that is excreted into the follicle. Free fatty acids are a kind of lipid that can irritate the skin.

Isotretinoin is a drug used by such medications as Accutane. Isotretinoin is a very effective method of treating acne, but can also be accompanied by harsh side effects. Acne patients taking isotretino...

Inflammatory refers to the site of an infection where there has been an abnormal growth in bacterial culture. When this happens, white blood cells rush to the site to fight off infection. The result is...

Hormones are chemicals in the body that stimulate various reactions throughout the body. In the case of acne, hormones can cause the stimulation of the oil gland causing the over-secretion of oil into ...

The word ‘follicle’ is a term used to describe the entire unit in the skin consisting essentially of a hair, a hair shaft, and an oil gland. Acne is a disorder that affects follicles in the...

Comedogenic is a term used to describe a substance that will likely cause acne if applied to acne prone skin. People with acne problems should always look for products that state non-comedogenic, whe...

A closed comedo is simply a medical term for a an acne whitehead. This occurs when the oil gland of a closed follicle secretes an excess of sebum (oil) and plugs up the pore. On the surface of he s...

A comedo (comedones for plural) is a sebaceous follicle (also known as a pore) that is plugged with a matter made up of dead skin cells and small hair cells from within the follicle, known as sebum. Op...