Causes Of Acne

Acne can be caused by many things: Oral medications, hormonal changes in the body, stress, pregnancy. The popular belief that chocolates and oily foods cause acne are largely unfounded. Similarly there is no scientific proof to the effect that dirty skin or strain causes acne.

Causes of Acne

Skin is covered with tiny holes called pores. Pores contain sebaceous glands (also called oil glands) that make sebum (see-bum), an oil that moistens hair and skin.

Excessive oil production forms a plug called a comedone or whitehead at the opening of the pore. It fits like a cork in a bottle.

This plug holds the oil and bacteria inside the oil gland which begins to swell as the skin produces more oil and bacteria.

White blood cells swarm around the oil gland to kill the bacteria. The result is a pimple or pustule.

If a pore gets clogged, closes and bulges out from the skin, it is called a whitehead. If a pore clogs up but stays open, the top surface can get dark and produces a blackhead. This is not dirt and won't wash away. The color is due to an oxidation of the plug contents.

Sometimes the walls of the pore are actually broken down, allowing sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to multiply resulting in a small, red infection called a pimple.

Factors Causing Acne

Acne is affected by many factors, including:

1. The rate the skin produces oil as determined by the DHT levels
2. Genetics strongly influence the development and persistence of acne.
3. Take oral birth control pills
4. Reaction to steroids
5. Allergic reaction to skin products and certain foods.

It is important to recognise that acne is very individual. Many women take birth control pills without problems with acne, and allergic reactions are unique to each person.

Teenage Acne

About 90% of all teenagers develop acne at or about the time of puberty when hormonal levels change. During puberty that can start from the age of 12 the hormone levels began to change in the body.

Teenage acne is directly tied to Testosterone - one of the key hormones that is involved in adolescent puberty in both sexes. The imbalance of Testosterone levels in adolescence results in high levels of DHT production that in turn leads to excessive oil production within the skin and leads to teenage acne.

Common Causes Of Blackheads

Overactivity of the oil gland and plugging of the pore resulting in blackheads.
Blackheads can also be aggravated if you leave your skin dirty and dead cells accumulate within your open pores.

The dead cells plug the pore opening resulting in oil build-up within the pore.

Too much makeup can also occlude the pore, as well as the excessive use of moisturizers, foundations and sunscreens.

The rule of thumb, therefore, is -- anything you put on your skin you must rinse off thoroughly after to avoid future problems. Good hygiene is key. But you must be careful about this rule, though, as over-cleansing and over-scrubbing has also been found to be one of the reasons for skin anomalies and irritation. Keep in mind that our skin also needs some amount of oil to stay healthy. There really is no need to get all the oil out to the very last molecule. Too much scrubbing or irritation of the skin will result in reflex overactivity of the oil gland, resulting in increased oil production and plugging of the pore; aggravating the acne.

Cause of Pimples

Majority of teenagers and adolescents experience pimple outbreaks. This happens when the skin tries to adjust to hormonal changes typically during puberty. However, even adults can have pimples, especially those who are most exposed to dirt and experience a lot of stress. Also women typically develop pimple outbreaks during their menstrual cycle when their hormones surge before or during their menstrual cycle.

There are other causes, but there are other causes as well, like bacterial folliculitis, keratosis pilaris and other skin problems. If left unattended, they can multiply and lead to severe acne. They can even leave annoying scars on your skin if they are not treated immediately. Pimples usually develop after blackheads or whiteheads become inflamed and infected.

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