By Betsy Sweeting

The secret to good looking skin starts now. I will take you step by step through skin problems and give you advice and suggestions on how to solve them.

Clogged pores

One of the most common problems that can arise is clogged pores. Your pores house the tiny hair follicles that grow on your face and body, and acne actually starts when one of these microscopic pores become plugged with oil, which causes dead skin cells and bacteria.

How acne happens

The clogged pore called a comedo, lurks beneath the surface of your skin waiting for the right conditions. And as the skin produces more oil due to this, the bacteria flourishes and causes the surrounding skin to swell and inflame. As your white blood cells fight bacteria you then have an acne breakout.

Types of acne

Though all blemishes start with clogged pores (a comedo), they can react differently depending on your skin type and conditions. Below are some examples of different types of acne, so that you can put a name to what you're experiencing.

Non-inflammatory: Whiteheads

Whiteheads (closed comedo) appear as whitish bumps and occur when the infected follicle stays below the surface of the skin.

Non-inflammatory: Blackheads (open comedo) appear as dark or black spots, not from dirt but from melanin (your skin's pigment). Blackheads occur when the infected follicle plug enlarges and reaches the surface of the skin.

Inflammatory: Papules

Papules appear as small, firm, pink bumps that may be tender to the touch. They often turn into other types of acne.

Inflammatory: Pustule

Pustules appear as small round bumps that are usually reddish at the base and contain visible whitish or yellowish pus at the center.

Inflammatory: Cyst

A cyst (or nodule) is usually large inflamed, pus-filled and painful.

They occur when infected material from a clogged pore spills into the surrounding skin and stays under the skin. They can turn severe and last for weeks or months and may cause deep scars.

Inflammatory (Acne conglobata)

A rare, but serious form of inflammatory acne that develops mainly on the back, buttocks or chest and is signified by severe bacterial infection.