It’s the bane of nearly every teenager’s existence, and an aggravation to many adults as well. Acne, known familiarly and with exasperation as “zits,” is a breakout of skin infection manifesting in angry red weals or white-tipped pustules, often concentrated in the facial area—where of course the sufferer tends to be self-conscious about their ugly appearance. For many people, acne is an inconvenience and a social embarrassment, but not a truly threatening medical issue. For others, however, a case of severe acne can lead to facial scarring or a more serious systemic infection. Treating acne can certainly relieve the personal embarrassment of a spotty face, and it can also prevent the more serious consequences of a severe breakout.
Types of Acne
Several types of acne commonly appear, especially among teenagers. Whiteheads are infected skin pores in which the white blood cells (the body’s immune response to bacterial infection) gather to attack the bacteria, and appear as a white pus-filled inflammation. Blackheads result from a similar process, with the difference that the 
dead skin cells or dirt which were blocking the pore oxidize when exposed to air, creating a black-tipped pustule. Papules are inflamed red bumps without a pus-filled head, and pustules are comprised of inflamed circles of red, often with a yellow or white center.
Basic Measures for Preventing Acne
The over-the-counter market is awash with products claiming to cure or prevent acne, and it’s true that some basic compounds can alleviate the condition. The most basic category is probably the antibacterial, including basic soap and water. Everyone’s skin naturally has thousands of surface bacteria, which aren’t necessarily harmful until they cause infection of skin pores, resulting in zits.
Regular cleansing of the face with antibacterial soap minimizes the surface bacteria and can help clean the pores so they don’t become blocked and infected. Cleansing can also wash away excess oils, which often factor in the blockage and subsequent infection of a skin pore, and the resultant acne. Wash your face with warm water, which causes pores to dilate open for better cleaning results. Put the soap in your hands (rather than a facecloth which can scrub and irritate the skin), and finish up with a splash of cold water, which causes the pores to constrict so they are less likely to fill with blocking substances.
Over-the-Counter and Pharmaceutical Acne Treatments
To treat existing acne outbreaks, several over-the-counter compounds are available and effective for many people. A topical cream with benzoyl peroxide, for example, can reduce acne breakouts with regular application by drying up the skin oils which block pores. This kind of treatment can also over-dry your skin, however, so it may need to be used in conjunction with moisturizers. For those who wish to make their acne breakouts less obtrusive, some makeup brands provide lightweight foundations and cover-ups, which help blend the inflamed reds of an outbreak with a more natural skin color, ideally without clogging pores with additional oils and residue. For truly severe acne outbreaks, a physician might prescribe medication to prevent scarring.
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