Pimples develop when sebaceous glands, or oil glands, get clogged and infected, leading to swollen, red lesions filled with pus.
Also known as spots or zits, pimples are a part of acne. They are most likely to occur around puberty, but can happen at any age. During puberty, hormone production changes.
Kopano Monama has some pimples and gogo Victoria Keta suspects there might have been there as a result of oily food and sugar that the young girl enjoys.
Said Victoria: “I’ve been telling her not to eat lots of junk food as it contains too much oil and the same with sweet drinks and other types of sweet products like chocolate, but she won’t listen.”
Kopano said: “I hate the look on my face. But I won’t give up on some of the food I enjoy daily, especially fast food.”
According to Medical News Today, there are many types of pimples, with different signs and symptoms:
Whiteheads: These are small pimples that remain under the skin.
Blackheads: They’re clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are black or dark-brown, due to the oxidation of melanin and the skin’s pigment.
People mistakenly believe they’re caused by dirt, due to their colour, and scrub their faces vigorously. This doesn’t help. It may irritate the skin and cause other problems.
Papules: These are small, solid, rounded bumps that rise from the skin. They’re often pink.
Pustules: These are pimples full of pus. They’re clearly visible on the surface of the skin.
Nodules: These have a similar structure to papules, but are larger.
Cysts: They’re clearly visible on the surface of the skin, filled with pus and are usually painful.