What Causes Acne?

 

Many people maintain excellent skin hygiene and yet wonder why they develop acne. First it is important to understand that poor skin hygiene is not a cause of acne.

The four basic of what causes of acne include the following:

• Excess oil production
• Accumulation of dead skin cells
• Clogged pores
• Presence of bacteria

Most people develop acne on the face but It can also occur on the chest, upper arms, back and neck. All these skin areas have an abundance of oil glands and are closely associated with hair follicles. The glands secrete oil to lubricate the skin and hair. When the glands produce an excess amount of oil and if this is combined with the dead skin, this can clog up the pores and people develop acne. When the oil gland is plugged, it may slightly swell and produce what is known as a whitehead. In some cases, the pore may partially open and this allows the oil to become exposed to air, which cause it it turn black, producing what is known as a blackhead.

In some cases, the underlying glands can become infected with bacteria, which then cause an inflammatory reaction that produces redness, swelling and pus.

Over the years many factors have been identified that can trigger or worsen acne which include the following:

1. Sex hormones
   Sex hormones like testosterone gradually increase in both boys and girls at puberty. This hormone is known to increase the number and size of the oil glands in the skin. Testosterone is also known increase the production of oil (sebum). Hormonal changes in women occur during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and with the use of oral contraceptives. The female sex hormone (Estrogen) also increases production of sebum. In general, acne as a result of sex hormones tends to be more common on the lower part of the face and back. The size of pimples is also much larger. In both males and females, increase in levels of androgens may occur as a result of eating foods rich in protein bars, soy and nutritional products for bodybuilding. Hormonal acne tends to be more common in females than males. Even though sex hormones have been known to be a cause of acne, it is not practical or realistic to measure the levels of sex hormones in everyone with acne. This can become an expensive undertaking because sex hormones are not responsible for causing acne in everyone. Plus, because of normal fluctuations of sex hormones in the body, high or low levels may not always be diagnostic. Further minute changes in sex hormones levels may not even show up on a blood test.

2. Medications can also cause acne.
   Certain prescription medications that can acne include lithium, corticosteroids and hormonal agents (especially male hormones). This type of acne is reversible once the drug is discontinued.

3. Certain Diets
   There is also some evidence that certain diets can trigger acne. Eating foods that are rich in carbohydrates and dairy products may worsen acne. The role of chocolate in the acne is still being debated. There are plenty of anecdotal reports that chocolate can trigger acne but there are no long term studies to validate this claim. There are just as many reports which claim that chocolate does not cause acne. There are some people who develop acne flareup after eating spicy foods.

4. Underlying medical problems
   like diabetes, over activity of the thyroid gland, certain fungal and bacterial infections can also cause or worsen acne. When these conditions are treated, the acne disappears.

5. Stress
   Stress can affect the body both physically and mentally. Stress per se is not a direct cause of acne but it can worsen the acne. During times of stress, the acne often flares up and is more obvious. Decreasing stress may prevent flare up of acne in some people.

6. Lack of Sleep
   Another factor that can worsen acne is lack of sleep. People who have poor sleep hygiene generally tend to have tired eyes, look fatigued and acne flareups are also common. So try and get adequate sleep and while it is not a cause of acne, it can make the skin look fresh, young and smooth.

 

What does not cause acne (myths)?

There are myths of gigantic proportions when it comes to causes of acne. Almost everything under the sun at one time has been proposed to cause acne.

 

1. Consumers need to understand that acne is not caused by eating oily, greasy or fried foods. There are some people who claim that eating oily foods causes the pores to clog up and cause acne- this simply is not true.

2. There are others who claim that causes of acne include dirty skin and not washing the skin adequately. These people then resort to excessive scrubbing of the skin with harsh soaps. All this does is make the acne worse. If you have oily skin, all you need to do is wash your skin with bland soap and gently pad it afterwards.

3. Some people claim that cosmetics can cause acne. While cosmetics do contain a lot of synthetic chemicals, which can irritate skin and cause dermatitis, they do not cause acne. However, one should avoid use of serums, oily makeups and oily fragrances because these substances can clog up pores and worsen acne. If you are gong to be using cosmetics, go with the non oily products. Experts in skincare suggest that you should always introduce one skincare product at a time so that you can determine if it is not causing any problems. If you are not sure about the cosmetic, apply a small amount to the skin on your hand or abdomen and wait a few days. If there is no reaction, then you can use it on your face.

4. For people who develop acne, knowing the cause or trigger of the acne is a difficult task. One approach to successful acne treatment is knowing the triggers. In such instances, keep a diary of what you use on the face, the foods you eat and the personal care products you apply on your face. If you notice a trend of a certain food or a fragrance that results in breakout of acne, you should avoid it.

5. Learn to read labels when you buy personal care products. Many products in the cosmetic industry have a variety of synthetic chemicals that can worsen acne. Buy products that have few chemicals or those that contain natural ingredients.

 

6. Even though there are some reports of acne running in families, the association between genes and acne is not strong. The vast majority of people who develop acne have no strong family history. Just because a family member has acne does not mean you will develop acne. And just because a family member does not have acne does not mean that you will develop acne.

 

Knowing how to get rid of acne is not difficult as long as you understand the causes. Even though there are many websites devoted on how to get rid of pimples, it is important to obtain a skin consult first to ensure that you really have acne and nothing else.