Knowledge is one of the best weapons in the fight against acne; knowing what causes acne, it’s easy to derive a good plan of attack. Teens are the group that is most likely to get acne. Over 85% of teens have to cope with the problem, which is really aggravating. It’s at this period in their life that hormone levels increase along with androgen in both males and females.
The largest increases occur on the back and upper chest and unfortunately on the face. This happened because the sebaceous glands are now actively producing sebum. We actually need sebum, because this natural oil is found in hair follicles. If the excess oil is washed off using soap and water, or alcohol it doesn’t present a problem. But, still the excess oil may cause blackheads.
The problem gets increasingly worse when the pores close, because they have become trapped from the excess sebum. Then whiteheads can form from increasing pressure and may burst. Now the bacteria are on the outside, on your face, for instance and it gets spread around. The bacteria create pus and inflammation, which causes acne.
Have you ever had the thought come to mind, that stress can affect your acne? That would be great to know since we can’t eliminate the stress completely. Here’s the verdict, stress weakens the immune system which would make it harder to defend against the bacteria causing acne. By itself, it’s not a major factor though.
I have been asked how much effect do illegal drugs have on acne. This is really one factor that you shouldn’t have to consider. You need to stop using drugs. If you don’t, you are going to have a lot more problems than acne. But, I’ll give you the dermatologist opinion. The conclusion, anabolic steroids, barbiturates, and tetracycline can be a major contributor to acne.
Is genetics an area of concern in the acne arena? It may have an effect, but it hasn’t been proven by concrete drug studies yet. But, acne can be inherited. And, that’s partly due to life in the home.
I’m often asked the following question. And, people are always surprised by my answer. How much do my eating habits affect my acne? Actually, greasy foods will not cause greasy skin. Also, some foods that you would think would have a big effect, like soft drinks, chocolate, and greasy cheeseburgers, will not impact your acne growth. If you are eating a food that increases production of sebum (oil) or a specific type of hormone that will certainly cause problems.
In conclusion, the two major culprits are hormones, and the sebum (oil) in the pores. And usually, during the teen years, the hormones are more active because your body is maturing, and that will cause more sebum (oil) to be secreted. That will mix with bacteria deep down in the pores, and the pores become blocked, which results in acne.
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