The key difference between cystic acne and hormonal acne is that cystic acne is a type of acne that occurs due to dietary sensitiveness and an overproduction of sebum, while hormonal acne is a type of acne that occurs due to hormonal changes, aging, pregnancy, or stress.
Acne is a very common condition that affects people of all ages. Acne can most commonly occur on the face, forehead, chest, shoulders, and upper back. There are various causes for acne, including genetics, fluctuating hormone levels, stress, high humidity, and using oily or greasy personal products. Cystic acne and hormonal acne are two common types of acne occurring in people.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Cystic Acne
3. What is Hormonal Acne
4. Similarities – Cystic Acne and Hormonal Acne
5. Cystic Acne vs Hormonal Acne in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Cystic Acne vs Hormonal Acne
What is Cystic Acne?
Cystic acne is a type of acne that occurs due to dietary sensitiveness and an overproduction of sebum. It is a type of inflammatory acne. It causes painful pus-filled pimples to develop deep under the skin when the oil and dead skin cells clog the skin pores. When bacteria get into the pores, it causes swelling or inflammation. The signs and symptoms of cystic acne may include a red lump under the skin, small as a pea or big as dime-sized acne, painful or tender to touch acne area, oozing pus from a whitish-yellow head, and crusty in nature. Moreover, cystic acne can occur in areas such as the back, butt, chest, neck, shoulders, or upper arms of the body. The complications of cystic acne include deep tiny holes, wider pits, and large, uneven indents.
Figure 01: Cystic Acne
Cystic acne can be diagnosed through medical history and physical examination. Furthermore, treatments include oral antibiotics, birth control pills, benzoyl peroxide, retinoid, isotretinoin, spironolactone, steroid, and home remedies.
What is Hormonal Acne?
Hormonal acne is a type of acne that occurs due to hormonal changes, aging, pregnancy, or stress. It is also known as adult acne. It affects adults between the ages of 20 and 50. Hormonal acne causes bumps on the face, shoulders, chest, and back. It can occur in the following forms such as pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and cysts. Hormonal acne is mainly due to hormonal changes that ultimately increase the amount of oil that skin produces. Later, this oil interacts with bacteria in the pores of the skin. This results in the production of acne. The other causes of hormonal acne include stress, lack of sleep, and using hair and skin care products that aren’t oil-free or free of ingredients that won’t clog pores. The signs and symptoms of hormonal acne may include lesions that can be inflamed, red, and painful sores on the face, neck, back, shoulders, and chest. It can also appear as whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, and cysts.
Figure 02: Hormonal Acne
Hormonal acne can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examinations, questionnaires, hormone testing, and sleep test. Furthermore, the treatments for hormonal acne include topical creams (tretinoin), topical retinoids, topical antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide, isotretinoin, steroid injection, daily skin cleansing, birth control pills, changes in diet, and laser or light therapy.
What are the Similarities Between Cystic Acne and Hormonal Acne?
- Cystic acne and hormonal acne are two common types of acne occurring in people.
- Both types of acne can occur on the face, neck, shoulders, and back.
- Both can show inflammation due to bacterial infection.
- These conditions have a family history influence.
- They are treated through medications such as antibiotics and steroids.
What is the Difference Between Cystic Acne and Hormonal Acne?
Cystic acne occurs due to dietary sensitiveness and an overproduction of sebum, while hormonal acne occurs due to hormonal changes, aging, pregnancy, or stress. Thus, this is the key difference between cystic acne and hormonal acne. Furthermore, cystic acne is a more severe form compared to hormonal acne.
The below infographic presents the differences between cystic acne and hormonal acne in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Cystic Acne vs Hormonal Acne
Acne is a common skin condition that occurs the hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. Cystic acne and hormonal acne are two common types of acne occurring in people. Cystic acne occurs due to dietary sensitiveness and an overproduction of sebum, while hormonal acne occurs due to hormonal changes, aging, pregnancy, or stress. So, this summarizes the difference between cystic acne and hormonal acne.
Reference:
1. “Cystic Acne: Definition, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention.” WebMD.
2. “Hormonal Acne: What Is It, Treatment, Causes & Prevention.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Backacne” By James Heilman, MD – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Chickenpox Adult back” By F malan – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia