What Are Blemishes?

Any type of spot, mark, discolouration or any flaw that appears on your skin is called blemishes. They can sometimes be emotionally upsetting as they just add dullness to your whole appearance. While most of the time they are not stubborn and life-threatening as seen in other cases where they are sometimes indicative of skin cancer. 

Benign blemishes can be easily treated at home while for stubborn you need to seek medical help.

Types Of Blemishes

Actually, a blemish is a broad term that includes any kind of spot on the skin. So let's have a look at their kinds.

• Acne

Acne is a common skin condition. It can be in the form of: 

• Pimples
• Whiteheads
• Blackheads

Acne condition occurs when your hair follicles are clogged by dirt, oil, and bacteria. Many times acne leaves pockmarks, dark spots, or acne scarring on your skin. There is also a role of hormonal changes and stress that leads to acne.

• Papules

Papules are in general kind of small skin lesions that are around one centimeter in diameter. They mostly occur in brown to pink colour. Sometimes pimples are also considered papules. Some examples of  papules are:

1. Chickenpox rashes
2. Shingles
3. Eczema
4. Dermatitis
5. Psoriasis 

• Nodules

The collection of tissue is called nodules. They usually feel hard when touched and are 1-2 cm in size.

1. Occur at any skin level.
2. Found in different colours like red.
3. Examples can be warts and skin tags.

• Age spots 

They are also known by the name of liver spots and are a type of hyperpigmentation. They form a dark spot on any part of the body which is exposed to the sun. People who are over 50 are more prone to liver spots as the presence of age spots can also be seen in younger people. They are most common in people above 50, but can also occur in younger people.

• Pustules

These are the pus-filled or fluid-filled bumps on the skin. Chickenpox blisters and Whiteheads are types of pustules. Other conditions that might cause pustules to form include scabies and rosacea which are common skin disorders in which blood vessels become visible and also blisters on the skin can lead to the formation of pustules. 

• Ingrown hair

Some known hair removal techniques like waxing, shaving, or tweezing can sometimes form ingrown hair. This hair literally grows back as a red bump into the skin where they got trapped. Curly-haired people are more prone to having ingrown hair than people with straight hair.

There can be large pus-filled hair cysts formed from the ingrown hairs and can be severely painful sometimes. They are found in different colours like yellow, red, and white.

• Birthmarks

Birthmarks generally occur at the birth time or after some time of it. They can vary in size, shape, appearance, and colour. Some examples of birthmarks are port-wine stains and moles which basically last for a longer duration or even last for longer.

• Melasma

Melasma is one of the common skin conditions that occur during pregnancy. You can easily identify melasma as it appears in brown patches on your skin. Melasma does occur due to hormonal fluctuations in your blood level and also by sun exposure.

• Skin cancer

Many types of skin cancer occur which can occur in the form of irregular borders with dark moles. It is professional advice that can be only helpful in identifying blemishes as a type of skin cancer. 

• Cysts

Many types of cysts occur in different forms like:

• Epidermoid cysts
• Sebaceous cysts
• Ganglion cysts

Cysts are noncancerous sacks that have fluids in them. They can be found under or over the skin in varying shapes and sizes which are generally circular in shape.

• Hyperpigmentation

Sometimes there are dark patches or uneven skin tone due to the excessive amount of melanin production. Various other causes of  hyperpigmentation are:

• Sun exposure
• Hormonal changes 
• Acne scarring

Causes of Blemishes

1. Viruses
2. Infections
3. Genetics
4. Sun exposure
5. Clogged pores
6. Hairstyling products 
7. Environmental toxins
8. Diet
9. Some medications like lithium and antiseizure drugs can also cause acne as a side effect.

Precautions To Fight Blemishes 

We found the 4 most effective precautions for you to follow to give a tough fight to the occurrence of blemishes and also to those that are already occurred from getting into severe symptoms.

1. Try to apply some effective sunscreen before you step out in the sun.
2. Do moisturize your face, body, and skin regularly to avoid any skin damage.
3. Always avoid excessive sun exposure and
4. Never scratch or squeeze out your blackheads or pimples which can give you dark blemishes on your skin.

When To Visit A Dermatologist?

There are many people who prefer to treat the blemishes due to some cosmetic reasons or if somehow a blemish appearance causes you some psychological distress. 

If your blemish is having accompanied any of the following symptoms, you should immediately seek the professional dermatologist's help

• If it grows quickly
• Changes in shape, size, or colour
• It bleeds frequently 
• Becomes itchy

Take Away

As blemish is just a mark on your skin it is generally harmless but people do treat them for many reasons like some psychological reasons or some cosmetic concerns. 

But there are some blemishes that are more serious. If you think that your blemishes are having certain characteristics of skin cancer then do consult some professional dermatologist and follow the trusted and well-tested treatment.