Your Shopping Cart is empty.

${{ (item.variation.media ? item.variation.media.alt_translations : item.product.cover_media.alt_translations) | translateModel }}$ ${{ (item.variation.media ? item.variation.media.alt_translations : item.product.cover_media.alt_translations) | translateModel }}$

{{ childProduct.title_translations | translateModel }}

{{ getChildVariationShorthand(childProduct.child_variation) }}

{{ getSelectedItemDetail(selectedChildProduct, item).childProductName }} x {{ selectedChildProduct.quantity || 1 }}

{{ getSelectedItemDetail(selectedChildProduct, item).childVariationName }}

{{item.quantity}}x HK$0 {{ item.unit_point }} Point

Remove

${{addonItem.product.cover_media.alt_translations | translateModel}}$

{{addonItem.quantity}}x {{ mainConfig.merchantData.base_currency.alternate_symbol + "0" }}

Remove

Acne, Whiteheads/blackheads

What is acne?

An introduction to how acne is formed and the different types!

Human skin, especially on the face, neck, back, and chest is covered in hundreds of thousands of microscopic hair follicles, often called pores.

For reasons no one completely understands, these follicles sometimes overproduce cells and become blocked. Sebum (oil) which normally drains to the surface gets trapped and bacteria begins to grow. All acne lesions start out as a microcomedone.

There are two main types of acne

1. Non-inflammatory acne

Microcomedones can spontaneously become unplugged and heal or they become non-inflamed skin blemishes called comedones--either a whitehead or a blackhead.

1-1) Whitehead

When the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. Whiteheads may show up as tiny white spots or they may be so small that they are invisible to the naked eye.

Whiteheads result from a pore that is blocked completely. The trapped oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells cause a white head to form on the skin’s surface. They are often treated with over-the-counter acne products.

1-2) Blackhead

A blackhead occurs when the pore opens to the surface and the sebum, which contains the skin pigment melanin, oxidizes and turns a brown/black color. It is not dirt and can not be washed away. Blackheads can last for a long time because the contents very slowly drain to the surface.

When a pore is partially blocked, blackheads often form. The trapped bacteria, oil, and dead skin slowly drains to the surface of the skin to form a blackhead. The dark color is caused by melanin in the skin reacting with oxygen. Blackheads typically take a longer time to clear than whiteheads.

2. Inflammatory acne

A blackhead or whitehead can release its contents to the surface and heal or the follicle wall can rupture and inflammatory acne can ensue. This rupture can be caused by random occurrence or by picking or touching the skin. This is why it is important to leave acne prone skin relatively untouched.

2-1) Papule

A papule occurs when there is a break in the follicular wall. White blood cells rush in and the pore becomes inflamed.

Red, inflamed bumps on the skin that feel tender and have no head are called papules. Squeezing a papule will not get rid of it faster and may cause scarring.

2-2) Pustule

A pustule forms several days later when white blood cells make their way to the surface of the skin. This is what people usually refer to as a "zit" or a "pimple.

Pustules are the most common type of acne lesion. They usually appear as an inflamed red circle with a center that is white or yellow. They can be popped at home, but acne sufferers shouldn’t touch it with their bare hands and make sure that the material they are touching the skin with is sterile.

A papule or pustule can completely collapse or explode, severely inflaming the surrounding skin and may engulf neighboring follicles. These lesions are called (Note:2-3)nodules or (Note:2-4)cysts.

2-3) Nodules

When a follicle breaks along the bottom, total collapse can occur, causing a large, inflamed bump that can be sore to the touch.

Severe acne often causes nodules. Acne nodules are hard bumps under the skin that may be large and last for months. Scarring is a common side effect of nodular acne.