What are the Causes of Acne?

Posted by acnetips

Many people have suffered from acne at one time in their lives. Although very common, this skin condition can cause self esteem issues because of the negative connotations associated with it. The causes of this affliction have caused many miconceptions. To understand how to treat acne, we need to discuss what may lead to an outbreak of this skin problem.

Hormone Causes

Acne outbreaks are often linked to extra hormones that are present in the body. This can mean that for women, outbreaks can be more severe during one point in the menstrual cycle than during other times. In all people, the extra hormones the body produces during puberty often results in outbreaks of acne, making it a normal part of growing up. In the same way, increased stress often leads to an outbreak, since stress stimulates the adrenal glands to produce more hormones.

Is Personal Hygiene A Cause?

The appearance of acne on the face often included little black spots in the skin called blackheads. Because of how blackheads look, it is often misinterpreted as a result of dirt on the face or poor personal hygiene. In reality, those black spots are usually composed of keratin, which is the substance that makes up skin and hair cells. Because this affliction is caused by unshed skin cells blocking pores, these black spots often show. This is normal, and reflects a symptom, not a cause.

Bacteria

The ultimate cause of acne is small bacteria that infect the clogged pores mentioned. The bacteria cause an inflammation which is usually reddened skin or pimples. The bodys immune system fights the bacteria which often forms the whiteheads, which consist mostly of white blood cells. A whitehead on a pimple is a sign that your body is working to destroy the bacteria.

Food As A Contributor

Currently, the jury is still out as to how much or how little food contributes to outbreaks of acne. While Grandma may tell you to stop eating chocolate and fried foods, there have been no studies to prove this will help. Milk, however is a culprit in causing acne, though doctors arent sure why yet; they suspect its the hormones in the milk. There have also been studies that indicate that cultures that have fewere people eat refined sugar have fewer cases of acne. However, since acne outbreaks can also be determined by genetics, this is not absolutly clear. Now that you have this information, you will be better prepared to determine what can and can’t cause acne outbreaks.

Tags: Acne, acne free, acne outbreak, acne scars, adult acne, blackheads