What are pimples?

In acne, pimples, blackheads and whiteheads take away the smooth luster of our complexion. But do you ever wonder what they really are? How they are different from each other or are they all the same?

What are pimples?

Pimples (often used synonymously with the term acne) are red, inflamed raised skin lesions that contain a small amount of pus. They usually develop after blackheads or whiteheads become infected, and are caused by clogged or infected pores.

How do pimples develop?

A pimple starts when a pore (an opening in the skin) gets plugged up. The pore has a tiny hair in it and oil glands at its base. The cells which line the pores are so small that they can only be seen with a microscope. During adolescence these cells are shed quickly. In some people the cells and oil stick together and form sebum which plugs the pore. If the pore is open, the result is a blackhead. If the pore is closed, a whitehead is formed.

The whitehead is the beginning of a pimple. It forms when the sebum escapes from the pore wall and gets under the skin. The body tries to clean out the sebum and brings in the white blood cells to do the work. The result is a pimple. When the sebum gets deeper under the skin, a cyst can form. Some pimples may be painful.

Here are some more detailed definitions of these acne-related terms:

Blackheads:  Blackheads are open plugged oil glands (the oil turns black when it's exposed to the air). It should be remembered that unless they are squeezed, blackheads do not usually cause pimples. Blackheads are not black from dirt, but from certain skin pigments (coloring) in the cells of the pores.

Whiteheads: Also known as a closed comedo, white heads are nothing but the closed plugged oil glands.

Pustule: These are red, inflamed, infected plugged oil glands, sometimes filled with pus.

Cyst: A cyst is a deep and uncomfortable swelling of the skin. In severe cases of acne, cysts (large fluid-filled bumps) may develop under the skin.