Types Moderate to Severe Adult Acne

Adults experience many forms of acne throughout their lives, but some individuals may experience moderate to severe acne that is difficult to treat and persistent. Persistent adult acne can become a problem because it is more like to develop into a more severe condition in which the skin becomes infected and painful.

While women are more likely to develop adult acne occasionally as a result of hormonal changes, men are more likely to develop cystic forms of back acne where the pores of the skin run much deeper than other places on the upper body. Cystic acne is regarded as the most severe form of acne and has a more stringent treatment for adult acne.

Moderate acne is characterized by a number of breakouts that occur frequently and when acne blemishes that are not cystic in nature occur in great quantities. Severe acne is characterized by the presence of a wide array of types of adult acne blemishes, but also the presence of painful lesions known as nodules and cysts.