As there are many reasons why lumps and bumps may occur, there are various symptoms associated with this skin concern:
- Blackheads – Are extremely common form of mild acne which is easily identified by the dark colour of blemishes. Typically, persistent and difficult to shift, blackheads are usually found around the nose area, forehead or chin. Their strange colour is a result of the melanin in sebum oxidising as it is exposed to air and turning black.
- Whiteheads – Are formed in a similar way to blackheads, excess sebum blocks pores and becomes mixed up with bacteria and dead skin cells. These spots are usually found lurking around hairlines and on chin, although they can appear anywhere on the body.
- Pustules – When pores become clogged with sebum and dead skin cells, sections of skin are sometimes caused to bulge, resulting in a pustule. Pustules are aptly named for the pus they contain as a result of an infection of a pore. When a pustule is caused by acne it will become hard and painful, when this process occurs a pustule becomes a cyst, and your acne becomes cystic acne. Pustules are usually white lumps encased in red skin, which can grow quite large and appear on any part of the body.
- Cysts – Cysts are considered a more extreme form of acne than blackheads and whiteheads, and there are lots of different types of cysts. All cysts are essentially pockets of tissues that are filled with pus or other materials. They can be found anywhere on the body and can be inflamed, smooth, painless and also dark in colour.
- Age Spots – Your skin is pigmented when you’ll notice flat, darkened patches of skin which are light brown to black in colour and can range in size from small dot to a much larger patch. These can be caused by sun exposure (also known as age spots), hormonal changes during pregnancy, or skin injury resulting from a bug bite, acne or cosmetic procedures. Generally darker skinned people are more prone to skin discolouration due to the higher amount of melanin in their skin, which is the pigment that determines their skin colour.
