What Causes Acne?

Acne in the vast majority of people; usually begins at puberty but it is not just confined to the young. Acne can plague individual’s way into adult life even in their forties, fifties and beyond. This is not as common but still very possible.

The body goes into overdrive and produces hormones called androgens. Androgens make the sebaceous glands enlarged and over stimulated. This means that the extra sebum (oil) that is produced by the sebaceous glands gets combined with bacteria and dead skin cells on the skin’s surface which blocks pores. Inside the blocked pores, bacteria multiply which causes spots, pimples and pustules that are associated with acne. It is not just the spots themselves that some unfortunate people have to contend with but also the possible acne scars that can be left as a constant reminder if not treated sufficiently and in time.

While there are thought to be no one main cause of acne, here are a few of the things that are commonly believed to be a contributing factor:

• Genetics. If your parents or siblings suffered from acne growing up then it is likely you will follow suit.
• Medications and steroids, although sometimes used to treat acne can also sometimes cause it to flare up.
• Oily make-up especially certain foundations and even moisturisers can clog the skin’s pores.
• Very harsh and caustic facial cleansers or toners that dry out the skin which results in the body producing more sebum to protect itself which means more spots.
• Picking existing spots or blackheads can only spread the infection and can cause acne scarring which in severe cases of acne causes permanent scarring.

You can rest assured that spots/acne is not caused by dirt or a lack of hygiene and you can not catch acne from anybody else, it is not contagious or infectious. What you eat does not directly cause acne although drinking plenty of water, exercises, getting plenty of beauty sleep and eating lots of fruit and veg is definitely beneficial as what you put into your body will definitely show on the outside.

In most cases, people generally grow out of acne usually in their mid to late twenties as with age the skin is less youthful and perhaps less greasy as it once was, although everyone is prone to a spot breakout now and then; it is hard to go through life without suffering from a single pimple. The good news is there are some excellent treatments available, some natural and some prescription, but if you seek the advice of a doctor or skin specialist you will find a solution that suits you.