Acne Glossary of Terms - Definitions

Comedo-a plug of keratin and sebum within the dilated opening of a hair follicle. Also known as a blackhead.

Corium or cutis vera-connective tissue lying beneath the epithelium of the skin.

Epithelium, referred to as the epidermis or cuticle-the covering of the external surface of the body.

High-glycemic-system for ranking carbohydrate type foods according to how high they raise the blood sugar.

Insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-1-released from the liver in response to growth hormone.

Keratinization- process within the human body; or sloughing off of dead skin cells.

Nodules, also known as cysts- normally contain a large amount of pus and are usually quite large. This form of acne can be painful and may extend deeply into the skin.

Papule.- Small, firm and reddish colored lesions that appear on the surface of the skin. In some cases, they may contain pus while in other cases they do not.

Pustule-An elevation of the cuticle, with an inflamed base; contains pus.

Pilosebaceous unit- This unit is comprised of several different components, including the hair follicle and a sebaceous gland

Sudoriferous and sebaceous glands-Glands in the skin or dermis that secrete an oil known as sebum.

Stratum mucosum, also known as the mucous layer- Comprised of many different layers of cells.

Stratum granulosum -makes up approximately two to three layers of cells which are flattened and contain a substance known as carmine.

Stratum lucidum- Comprised of cells closely packed together with some amounts of flattened nuclei as well as very small traces of kerathoyalin.

Sebum -composed of fatty materials which accumulate within the blocked pore when the body overproduces sebum.

Sebum cutaneum-Cavity that is actually filled with debris and fatty matter; known as the pilosebaceous unit in the skin.

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