What’s All the Gunk Inside a Pimple?

By: Thomas Hunter

Before discussing the gunk that is found inside a pimple, first you need to define what a pimple is. Pimples or zits the slang name can be mild to severe. It’s a common skin condition and can affect anyone from teenagers to women in there 40’s and 50’s. It’s rare to find acne in men of that age range. Acne, the full medical term is acne vulgaris is a common skin condition that happens when skin cells are clogged with oil and dead skin and then is infected with bacteria. A pimple is red and are often raised bumps on the skin affecting the face, neck, shoulders, and back area. If a pimple bursts under the skin and sends bacteria into the surrounding tissues, it is then called a papule. If the papule goes even deeper under the skin, it’s called a pustule. It might not be as red as other pimples but may have a white enter and be very painful. If it goes even deeper in the skin, it is then called a cyst. These are very serious and should be treated by a trained professional who will recommend topical ointments or a prescription drug to help in clearing it up.

Propionibacterium acnes are normally found on the skin. It increases during puberty as it uses sebum as a growth nutrient. Some people just have more of this bacterium on their skill. When that happens, and it collects in pore and hair follicles and draws white blood cells to that follicle. These white blood cells produce an enzyme that fights the bacteria they see as a foreign body and tries to destroy it.

A normal follicle has sebum that is produced by a sebaceous gland. This fills the hair follicle and spreads over the skin surface that gives the skin an oily appearance. If all is working correctly, this gives your face a healthy and moisturized look. Problems occur when the sebum is trapped in the hair follicle and cells that normally slough off plug up their hair follicles. This is what is commonly called blackheads and whiteheads, the medical term being comedones. It’s a whitehead if the oil has broken through to the surface. It’s called a blackhead if the oxygen in the air oxidizes the oil and it changes from white to black.

If the pimple inflammation is right near the surface, it’s called a pustule, a papule if it’s deeper in the skin and a cyst if it is deeply burrowed into the skin. A mild case of can consists of dome-shaped lesions that contain pus over a blocked follicle. Normally, these follicles have a hair in the center. This type of acne is usually healed and doesn’t progress to the next stage and heals without leaving scars. If the infection goes deeper, it becomes a pustule and then a cyst. These more serious forms of acne will cause deep scarring if not treated properly.

It doesn’t help to “pick” at these pimples in whatever form you have them. By picking or squeezing, you can add additional bacteria into the area and make the outbreak worse instead of better. Your hands or fingers may have bacteria that you don’t even know about that can aggravate the condition of your acne. A good rule to remember is to keep your face clean and your hands off your face. If you have abnormally oily hair, it’s extremely important to keep your hair away from your face. Keep your pillowslip clean, change it every other day, and keep your hair pulled back when you are sleeping.

So, what is all that ugly junk that comes pouring out of a large pustule when you are squeezing? If you are tempted to squeeze hoping to get rid of a pimple or blackhead sooner, what comes out is a whitish-yellow fluid. This fluid is a collection of white blood cells, old tissue that has liquefied and other cellular debris. Pus is often found at a site of infection, or at the site where a foreign body has entered the body. It’s perfectly natural for it to be found in a pimple. Your body is attempting to fight off a bacterium that is stuck in the follicle.


About the author of: What’s All the Gunk Inside a Pimple?

Thomas Hunter is an Internet marketer, author and publisher and has helped hundreds of people become successful Niche Marketers. Explore the highly profitable world of Niche Marketing at http://SixFigureNiches.com our popular website.
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