Causes of Acne – What are they?

Upon reaching puberty, our bodies experience an enormous change in the production levels of various hormones, which have been found to be the root cause of acne.

Occurring in about 80% of adolescents, acne most often affects the face, neck, back and chest. The cause of acne is the surge in the production of hormones called androgens, which are the culprits behind the overstimulation of sebum from the sebaceous (oil) producing glands.

Intended to keep the skin supple and smooth, the sebaceous glands produce extra oil, which can unfortunately be the underlying cause of acne.

When oil on the skins surface combines with dead skin cells and bacteria, pores become blocked. This then becomes a cause of acne and the bacteria inside the blocked pore starts to multiply, resulting in spots and pimples.

Unfortunately, many products intended to help keep skin healthy can actually become a cause of acne. This is because certain ingredients are too harsh for our skin and result in the sebaceous glands producing even more oil.

Other hormones besides androgens have been found to be a cause of acne. Cortisol is produced as a result of stress and studies have proved that acne can be aggravated by it’s rising levels.

Acne can also be a hereditary condition. It does tend to run in families leading specialists to believe there may also be a genetic cause of acne.

Steroids and oral contraceptives, both prescribed drugs, have been found to be a cause of acne in some people. However, due to their varying ingredients, some types of oral contraceptives are often prescribed as an effective treatment for acne and sufferers of some other skin problems.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) occurs in some women and causes extremely high levels of androgens to be produced. Androgens are a main cause of acne and PCOS sufferers are therefore likely to develop many unpleasant symptoms including skin problems and acne.

Acne can often cause extensive scarring, leaving unpleasant marks on the skin, sometimes for life. To minimise the chances of this happening, it is important for the acne sufferer to try and resist picking and squeezing at spots as this causes the infection to travel deeper into the skin, hence initiating further damage.

Unfortunately, in some individuals, severe inflammatory acne with large cysts develops beneath the skin’s surface. Even if left alone, these cysts can rupture causing the infection to spread and usually result in scars.

Contrary to popular belief, the root cause of acne is not either a poor diet or poor hygiene, although if you don’t wash your face or remove make-up, bacteria will then be able to multiply on your skin.

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