Acne is an inflammation of the skin that causes black heads, white heads and those red spots commonly known as pimples or zits. People often think that they’re to blame for the cause of their acne. The fact is, it isn’t caused by anything that you’re doing. Not by what you eat, how often you wash your face or how many times you work out. Acne develops from a combination of factors working deep beneath the surface of your skin. Here are some factors that can cause acne.
HORMONES
For the majority of people who suffer from acne, the trouble starts when they hit puberty. This is when your body starts to produce hormones called androgens. These hormones cause your sebaceous glands to enlarge. This a normal part of your body’s development. But for people with acne, the sebaceous glands are overstimulated by androgens and this can sometimes occur well into your adult years. Androgens can also cause acne flare ups associated with the menstrual cycle and sometimes pregnancy.
EXTRA SEBUM
When your sebaceous glands are stimulated by androgens, it starts to produce extra sebum. When sebum travels up the follicle toward the surface of the skin, it mixes with common bacteria and dead skin cells. While this is a normal process, the extra sebum in the follicle can have more chances of becoming clogged and this can cause acne.
FOLLICLE FALL OUT
Normally, dead skin cells inside the follicle will gradually shed and then expel on to the skin’s surface. But in people who have overactive sebaceous glands and almost everyone who goes through puberty, the cells are shed at a faster rate. When the dead skin cells are mixed with too much sebum, it can form a plug in the follicle and prevent your skin from finishing it’s natural renewal process.
BACTERIA
One of the factors that can cause acne can be due to bacteria. Everyone’s skin contains the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, regardless of your skin type. It plays a part in your skin’s natural sebum maintenance. But once a follicle becomes plugged, Propionibacterium acnes will start to multiply quickly and create an inflammation in the follicle and the skin surrounding it.
INFLAMMATION
When there is any unwanted bacteria in your body, it will send an army of white blood cells to attack those invaders. This is called chemotaxi, which is commonly known as the inflammatory response. This response system is what causes pimples to become red, swollen and painful.
Knowing about the factors that can cause acne is an important part of treating this condition. When you know how acne is caused, you can come up with a plan on how to fight it. While the factors that can cause acne may be beyond your control, understanding them will help you find the proper treatment for your acne.