• If touched, it spreads all over and cannot be restored.
• Folliculitis, rosacea, dermatitis around the mouth, etc.
• Treatments vary depending on the disease.
Even a single pimple on our face irritates us a lot. Getting stressed by looking in the mirror, we unconsciously touch it and squeeze it with fingernails. In some cases, it may expand to the entire face and cannot be adequately managed because it may look like acne, but it may be an 'acne-like rash,' not acne. Therefore, it should not be taken lightly as a small pimple.
A pimple is a Papule that occurs on the face, chest, and back, including acne. In other words, not all pimples are acne. Inflammatory skin diseases similar to acne include ▲ folliculitis ▲ rosacea ▲ perioral dermatitis, and Non-inflammatory diseases include ▲ squamous warts and ▲ milia. In addition, it is essential to distinguish a Papule from rashes such as skin diseases and sweatbands caused by ▲ drugs ▲ , radiation ▲ , tropical climate ▲ physical stimulation.
Kim Hyun-jo, a dermatologist at CNP Cha & Park Dermatology Department (outpatient professor of Dermatology, Soonchunhyang University), stated, "In many cases, pimples on patients' faces are folliculitis, not acne."
"It can be recognized by the presence or absence of comedones, which are the sebum masses that induce acne," he explained.
Acne, a chronic inflammatory skin disease in the hairy sebaceous glands, mainly occurs from puberty to 20-30. Depending on the degree of progression, acnes develop as ▲papules ▲, pustules ▲, nodules ▲cystic lesions. And comedones, which are sebaceous lumps, are lesions that only appear in acne.
Inflammatory skin diseases generated by injections mainly appear as papules and pustules in the central part of the face and are typically co-occurred with redness, erythema, and capillary dilatation. It is most prevalent that middle-aged women feel stinging or burning on the skin.
Shin Jeong-won, a professor of dermatology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, responded, "In the case of injection, it can be differentiated from acne by the age of onset, the location of the lesion, and accompanying symptoms". Since the type of drug applied is entirely different from acne, the lesion should not be squeezed. And it is adequate to combine it with laser treatment to treat dilated blood vessels," the professor accentuated.
Also, dermatitis around the mouth is comparable to acne, but it should be identified separately as well. Since in perioral dermatitis, inflammatory papules and pustules occur around the mouth, it can be confused with acne. But it can be co-occurred by dead skin cells or dry skin.
Professor Shin Jung-won said, "if you use an acne medication for perioral dermatitis, it often gets worse as the skin becomes dry. Thus it is critical to separate it from acne, and the treatment is carried out similarly to an inflammatory skin disease caused by injections."
Finally, hidradenitis occurs when sweat glands are blocked. So it is vital to reduce sweat secretion in a cool place. Itching can be controlled with antihistamines without much difficulty.
Dr. Kim Hyun-jo, a dermatologist, said, "If you pop a pimple that shows acne-like rash without comedones, it can damage the skin and cause pigmentation or pitted scars". Moreover, it is advised to refrain from using too much color makeup as it can clog pores and cause acne-like rashes. In the case of rosacea patients, continuous use of acne cosmetics may worsen symptoms," he added.
