Acne in Spanish

What it means

Acne is a common skin disease that causes pimples. Pimples form when hair follicles under the skin clog up: according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), sebum, an oil that helps keep skin from drying out, and dead skin cells plug the pores, which leads to outbreaks of lesions. Most pimples form on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. Anyone can get acne, but it is common in teenagers and young adults. It is not serious, but it can cause scars. NIAMS lists whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, and nodules among the types of acne lesions. Hormone changes, such as those during the teenage years and pregnancy, probably play a role. In Spanish the term is acné.

Acne in Spanish

Spanish term: Acné
Gender and article: masculine: el acné
Pronunciation: ahk-NEH

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
acné vulgar	General	MedlinePlus en español lists it among the alternative names of its encyclopedia article on acne.

Acné is the term used by MedlinePlus en español and by NIAMS, and it is masculine: el acné. It is written with an accent on the final e. The individual spots have several names: the MedlinePlus en español health topic page speaks of espinillas (granos) and lists Barros, Espinillas and Granitos under its heading Otros nombres, while NIAMS says the lesions are often called granos o espinillas.

For the types of lesions, NIAMS uses espinillas blancas or comedones cerrados for the ones that stay under the skin and make a white bump (whiteheads in its English page), and puntos negros or comedones abiertos for the ones that reach the surface and open (blackheads). The MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia calls a plug with a dark top an espinilla negra. Other words that go with it are folículos pilosos (hair follicles), poros (pores), glándula sebácea (oil gland), brotes (outbreaks) and cicatrices (scars). Deep acne that causes firm, painful cysts is acné noduloquístico.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I have had acne on my face and back since I was fourteen.	Tengo acné en la cara y en la espalda desde los catorce años.
Clinician	Do the pimples hurt, or do they leave marks when they heal?	¿Le duelen los granos o le dejan marcas cuando sanan?
Patient	Some are deep and painful, and they have left scars.	Algunos son profundos y dolorosos, y me han dejado cicatrices.
Clinician	Does your acne get worse before your period or when you are under stress?	¿El acné le empeora antes de la menstruación o cuando tiene estrés?
Clinician	What products do you use on your skin and hair?	¿Qué productos usa en la piel y en el cabello?
Patient	I wash my face twice a day, but the blackheads keep coming back.	Me lavo la cara dos veces al día, pero los puntos negros vuelven a salir.
Clinician	Has anyone in your family had severe acne?	¿Alguien en su familia ha tenido acné grave?
Patient	Could you refer me to dermatology?	¿Podría remitirme a dermatología?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Acne
Spanish (Español)	Acné
Chinese (中文)	痤瘡
Korean (한국어)	여드름
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Mụn trứng cá
Filipino (Tagalog)	Acne
Portuguese (Português)	Acne
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	สิว
Japanese (日本語)	ニキビ

Where you'll see it

chartreferralmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: L70 → Acne

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Skin, hair and nails

All terms in this area: Skin, hair and nails — Piel, cabello y uñas

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.