Watch: Grade III Acne Follow Up

Common use of the term “acne” tends to be all encompassing and might include any type of blemish that might affect the skin, primarily on the face. If you have acne, you might think that’s all you need to know.

But you’ve probably noticed that acne severity varies widely from person to person. Your particular case of acne may even change periodically, depending on conditions like stress and hormone levels.

Actually, dermatologists classify acne into four different types based on form and severity. Understanding the four different types of acne will help you to identify which type of acne you have in order to choose the most appropriate treatment.

Acne moves to Grade 3 when blemishes occur in larger numbers and inflammation is more pronounced. Blemishes may be so dense that they spread and merge together, resulting in an entire area of skin being infected rather than just a single pore. When it reaches this point, the skin’s structure is compromised, opening up the possibility of acne scarring.

Since the infection extends more deeply into the skin, abrasive exfoliants should be avoided since they are more likely to spread the infection rather than relieve it. Dermatologists, who can prescribe medicinal treatments including topical and oral antibiotic treatments to reduce inflammation, should usually be consulted prior to treating grade 3 acne.

With a greater incidence of papules and pustules comes a greater temptation to eliminate them by squeezing or popping. Unfortunately, this can serve to spread the bacteria and multiply breakouts. The greater danger is that squeezing can actually aggravate the infection by forcing the infection deeper into the skin.