Generally speaking, a blemish is a small discoloured mark or area on the skin usually attributed to an acne outbreak. However, there are many different forms of blemishes that are not caused by acne. Sometimes, people are born with some blemishes, such as birthmarks or a port-wine stain, which is also referred to as nevus flammeus. Unlike the blemishes caused by acne outbreak, these blemishes or marks usually last life-long. There are some other types of blemishes also - for instance, those caused by environmental factors, hormonal imbalances, due to use of specific medications and so on. Moreover, people may also get blemishes, which are caused as a fall-out of using specific products such as bleach on their skin.
As people age, they may also develop age spots on their skin. Even these are a sort of blemish. There are a variety of other types of blemishes, including sun spots, liver spots, freckles, skin tags and moles. Blemishes can be of different sizes and shapes. While some blemishes may be somewhat big and cover a large part of one's skin, others may be tiny, often unnoticeable.
There is a myth that people of certain cultures do not get blemishes. However, this is a wrong notion as everyone, people belonging to all races and cultures or nationalities can develop blemishes on their skin. Both men and women can get blemishes on their skin, but it has been seen that the problem is much more widespread in women. Perhaps, this is owing to the fact that a woman's body experiences more hormonal changes during their puberty as well as when they enter the menopausal stage. Moreover, women also develop blemishes during pregnancy, since they go through several hormonal fluctuations during this period.
There are various kinds of skin blemishes including acne, birthmarks, scars, age spots and also a patchy skin tone.
Acne is among the most common causes of blemishes. This type of blemish may occur in the form of pimples and elevated pustules or be flat, as in the case of whiteheads and blackheads. Clogging of hair follicle is said to be the main reason for occurrences of acne. Various factors like dirt, bacteria and sebum - an oily substance produced and released by the skin, may be responsible for clogging the hair follicles. Alternatively, the hair follicles may be blocked due to ingrown hairs. Usually, people experience acne during puberty, when they undergo a lot of hormonal changes, which results in the production of excessive sebum. This, in turn, augments the clogging. While using over-the-counter or non-prescription drugs or cleansers can help to decrease sebum production, alleviate inflammation and also clean the blocked skin pores in the case of mild to restrained acne, you need to use prescription drugs and anti-inflammatory ointments to treat severe cases of acne. Prescription drugs will also help to keep the hormonal changes in check.
Scars are among the most widespread forms of blemishes. Scarring is attributed to excessive accumulation of collagen following an injury. Scars may differ in color, size and even texture. While nearly all scars disappear in due course of time, it is possible to lessen the appearance of larger or deep colored scars by using skin oils that contain vitamin C and chemical peels. You can also help them to disappear by laser therapy and dermabrasion. However, there is an exception - keloid scarring. This form of scarring keeps growing long after the injury has healed. What is worse, many skin treatments are ineffective in treating keloid scarring.
Some blemishes occur when we are born and they are called birthmarks. This type of blemish is basically a flat discoloured patch. Some people may get this type of blemish even at a very early age. The size, shape and color of birthmarks vary. Generally, they are brown or black, like in the case of moles. Then again, they may also be red, especially in the instance of stork bites or port wines. All these blemishes remain life-long and cannot be erased. In most cases, birthmarks, port wine stains as well as stork bites are benign and they are attributed to excessive pigmentation in any specific area of the body. They may also appear when blood vessels come very close to the skin surface.
When older people are exposed to sunlight for a long time, they may develop age spots or liver spots. Even younger people may develop these if they tan excessively. Similar to birthmarks, age spots as well as liver spots are usually flat and may occur on any part of the body. However, they are more common on our face and hands. More often than not, these blemishes are small and their color may vary from grey to brown to black.
One form of blemish is a freckled skin tone. While this condition is quite widespread, it is somewhat subtle. This skin condition is also referred to hyper-pigmentation and it is attributed to an anomalous and excessive melanin production. Several factors like hormones, exposure to sun and even injuries to the skin influence production of melanin. When either of these occurs in excess, they may cause the skin tone to deteriorate. However, the good news is that an uneven skin tone is curable depending on the nature of discoloration. Elma 01 is a very effective ointment for treating this condition.
In several cases, a blemish or skin discoloration may also indicate an infection symptom or even a skin inflammation. However, you should know that blemishes too have symptoms and you should always check them. Some of the symptoms associated with blemishes include stretched and painful pustules, brownish or dark patches on the skin and emergence of raised areas and bumps on the skin, which are pus-filled, especially on the face. In addition, some people may have discoloured skin on some parts of their body, especially occurring either during spring or the winter months.
Some blemishes may also result in changes in the skin texture and specific patches may feel coarse when touched. In addition, some skin areas which have been affected by blemishes may become additionally dry or cause itchiness. Most blemishes do not cause any pain, but some may, especially if they are raised and pus-filled.
However, all blemishes do not accompany the symptoms discussed above. While some people experience all the above mentioned symptoms when they get a blemish, most others do not experience any or only some. Usually, people who get blemishes on their skin only have spots or batches whose color may vary from brown to black.
One thing should be made clear. It is not possible to prevent or erase birthmarks. However, it is possible to reduce the intensity of other types of blemishes provided you use the right kind of skin care. Age spots can be prevented to a large extent if you wear good quality sunscreens or stay away from tanning. These will also help in reducing uneven skin tone. At the same time, you should ensure that you keep your skin well hydrated so that the skin appears healthy. It is also important to wash your face at regular intervals using a good cleanser that suits your skin type. Washing your face with a cleanser helps to keep your facial skin moisturized. In addition, you can prevent getting blemishes on the skin by using Elma 01 skin ointment regularly. This ointment is a perfect remedy for skin blemishes and helps to make erase them quickly.
