A large population of the world, young or old, experiences the pain of having unwanted pimples or acne. Acne Vulgaris occurs in various forms and on different parts of body. It can be seen as blackheads, whiteheads and pimples on the face, chest, neck, shoulders and backside of the body.

There are various causes for Acne Vulgaris, the most being oily skin. Under the skin, hair follicles are present, which are the pores from where hair growth starts. Sebaceous glands are attached to the hair, which produce oil named sebum that keeps the skin healthy and rich.

Sometimes when the pores get clogged, sebum gets collected. This collection of sebum attracts bacteria that get its nourishment from oil. Gradually these bacteria multiply. The defense system of body tries to isolate these bacteria, which form a colony that appears on the skin as an inflammation, generally known as a pimple.

Besides such red inflamed forms, acne also appears as non-inflames forms like comedones. Comedones are of two types: whiteheads and blackheads.

When the collection of bacteria and blocked sebum formed by a blocked follicle reside below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. Often it is very small and cannot even be seen with a naked eye. A blackhead is created when the collected mass appears on the surface, which oxidizes the skin pigment melanin in the sebum thereby becoming black.
Other forms of acne are papules, which are red, inflamed, vulnerable bumps without any head. Where as, pustules look like whiteheads, but are inflamed and their appearance is that of a red ring with a white or yellow core. Cysts and nodules form the severe form of Acne Vulgaris, wherein big solid bumps are formed under the surface of skin. Such severe forms often leave bad scars.

Another form, which resembles a nodule, is acne cyst, which is full of pus and is painful. Usually, comedones acne like blackheads and whiteheads drain the collected sebum and bacteria to the surface of skin, which eventually heals.

Some other causes of Acne Vulgaris are wrong diet intake, like excessive intake of starches, sugar, and fatty spicy food, besides irregular meals. Stomach problems like chronic constipation also lead to development of Acne Vulgaris. Apart from these reasons, genes and hormonal activity, predominantly in teenagers also cause such skin aberrations. In certain cases, erroneous use of cosmetics clogs the pores and causes acne.

One should take extreme care while handling Acne Vulgaris. One must never prick or pop pimples, blackheads and whiteheads. In case, the hands or nails are dirty, they would worsen the state of acne.

To avoid Acne Vulgaris, one should eat a lot of fruits and vegetables which act as anti-oxidants. One should also drink a lot of water and avoid excessive fried, oily food along with chocolates. As a remedy, one can use Aloe Vera gel, which is one of the best natural cleansers and has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

A healthy lifestyle and good eating habits can certainly keep the skin acne-free forever.