November 30, 2009

Re-Examining the Cause of Acne

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What factors contribute to acne? Greasy food has long been a supposed culprit of the cause of acne, but this is not necessarily true. We really do not know precisely what causes acne. Though doctors have uncovered what tends to worsen the condition, we still do not know why one person will get acne while another person won’t.

A lot of people say that genetics are to blame. Supposedly if your parents had problems with acne during their teenage years, the likelihood is strong that you will too. In fact, heredity has been studied as one potential cause of acne. So if you as a parent suffered from acne when you were young, it should come as no surprise if your children also have problems.

Another possible cause of acne, or perhaps more of a trigger for it, is the beginning of adolescence. The increase in androgens, a specific category of hormones that become active during puberty, could be another cause of acne. Androgens cause the sebaceous gland to grow in size. As a result, it produces more sebum (body oil), which can be a cause of acne because it clogs the pores.

In a comparable way, acne can be triggered by hormones active during a woman’s menstrual cycle. This is also true of hormones present during pregnancy. Hormonal changes can occur because of stress, encouraging acne to flair up.

There is some evidence that drugs such as androgens and lithium could be another cause of acne. And in case you were wondering, certain types of make-up or wearing too much make-up can contribute to clogged pores if the cosmetics are oil-based; combined with your body’s natural oils, they create an overabundance of the substance in your pores. Skin irritations can occur from tight collars or backpacks, making existing acne worse.