Acne in plain English - What is Acne?

If the cells lining the sebum canals get injured the body triggers an inflammatory reaction to get rid of the problem and if the inflammatory reaction is immoderate as it usually is you get pus, redness , pain and destruction by your own system not only of the sebum but also some of the surrounding cells. If sebum (oil) which normally drains to the surface gets blocked it becomes a rich feeding environment for the growth of bacteria.

Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a microcomedone. The picture below is a microcomedone:

There are two types of acne:

Acne Characterized by Blocked pores

Microcomedones become non-inflamed skin blemishes called comedones - either a whitehead or a blackhead:
WhiteHead
When the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. Whiteheads may show up as tiny white spots, or they may be so small that they are invisible to the naked eye.
BlackHead
A blackhead occurs when the trappedsebum and bacteria partially open to the surface and turn black due to melanin, the skin's pigment. It is not dirt and can not be washed away. Blackheads can last for a long time because the contents very slowly drain to the surface.
A blackhead or whitehead can release its contents to the surface and heal. Or, the cells lining the follicle wall can become damaged and inflammatory acne can ensue (see below). This lesions can be caused by random occurence or by picking or touching the skin. This is why it is important to leave acne prone skin relatively untouched.

Papules
A papule occurs when there is a lesion in the follicular wall. White blood cells rush in and the pore becomes inflamed.
BlackHead
A pustule forms several days later when white blood cells make their way to the surface of the skin. This is what people usually refer to as a "zit" or a "pimple".

Nodules
When a follicle breaks along the bottom, total collapse can occur, causing a large, inflamed bump that can be sore to the touch.
Cyst
Sometimes a severe inflammatory reaction can result in very large pus filled lesions or cyst. This type of acne should be treated by a dermatologyst.

Diagrams courtesy of: National Institute of Health

BIOSKINCLEAR is a biological skin care product for acne that has no side effects. It works because it not only controls bacteria by boosting the production of the skin's own antimicrobials, it also unclogs pores through the action of enzymes that digest the keratin and sebum that plugs hair follicles. In fact it releases the amino-acid components of damaged skin proteins for their use in regenerating healthy cells which prevents and heals acne scar.

It also moisturizes the skin and eliminates redness quickly. It can be used in conjunction with medicines like isotretinoin (Accutanee & other brands prescribed for very severe acne) to avoid their dreaded side effects on the skin and to start healing scarring and stregthenning the skin while taking the medicines, for it does not interact with them.