Acne can come in many forms, and for most of us, a breakout can prove to be a frustrating inconvenience. But just as with any other physical ailment, an acne breakout could be a sign of something much more serious in your body that needs attention. The degree of the acne could even be an indicator of how serious the problem really is, so it pays to take notice of any of the severe acne symptoms and signs. Bottom line, your external acne problems are only a reflection of an internal problem that you need to give attention to. There are actually five different types of severe acne problems that might have appear on your face:
1.) Acne Conglobata
Acne conglobata is one of the severe acne symptoms and signs that can be identified by deep abscesses on the skin, redness and inflammation, which can leave scarring in its aftermath. You may also see blackheads that not only spread across the face but can extend to the neck and upper arms as well. While the cause of this type of acne is unknown, treatment for Acne conglobata can be prescription antibiotics over an extended period of time. Even after clearing up, regular checkups with a dermatologist could help to prevent it from coming back.
2.) Acne Fulminans
Acne fulminans can break out suddenly with the appearance of highly destructive inflammation that can appear much like ulcers on the skin. It is usually accompanied by fever and pain in the joints, especially in the hips and knees. Treatment is usually composed of cortisteriods or anti-inflammatory drugs. It can usually take months if not years to fully recover from this severe type of acne.
3.) Nodulocystic Acne
Nodulocystic acne is a form of acne that produces painful cysts on the face, neck, scalp, back, chest, and shoulders. These cysts may be filled with thick, yellow pus, which is usually infected. It is best to have a medical professional to remove or drain these cysts and an aggressive regimen of antibiotics is strongly recommended.
4.) The Gram-Negative Folliculitis
The Gram-negative folliculitis is identified by a severe inflammation of the follicles and is usually caused by a bacterial infection. Treatment for this type of severe acne is with a dose of isotretinoin and specialized antibiotics.
5.) Acne Vulgaris
Acne vulgaris can be identified by the appearance of tiny blackheads that appear as dark spots on the skin, pustules, nodules, and/or cysts that result from inflammation of the hair follicles and the sebaceous gland. There are several courses of treatments that can be used to reduce the symptoms of this problem including topical and systemic agents used to control the inflammation of the skin and reduce the effects of the other symptoms.
While most acne symptoms are relatively minor, severe acne symptoms and signs like the ones listed above can be an indicator of a serious internal problem that needs to be addressed. Self-medicating in these cases could actually exacerbate the problem and add to the discomfort. It is best to seek professional treatment with a dermatologist to get to the underlying root cause and to prevent the possibilities of the symptoms recurring.
