The effects of acne on a person can range anywhere from annoying to life debilitating. Usually, acne occurs during the teen years. Acne also tends to show up in women during pregnancy. Some forms of acne are predominantly found in men, especially younger men. Other forms of acne afflict only women.
The root causes of acne are unknown to us. There are however indications that lead us to certain conclusions. Clearly, a consistently dirty face will contribute a great deal to the development of acne. That however is apparently not the only cause. For example, teen-agers and pregnant women seem to be more susceptible to the development of acne than others. This would indicate that hormone production may, and most likely does, contribute to the development of acne. In fact, we have learned that testosterone in particular has been shown to be a cause of acne.
While increased production of testosterone seems to cause acne, genetics or hereditary factors also seem to play a part. Those who have relatives afflicted with acne tend to be more susceptible to acne themselves.
Some experts are convinced that high levels of stress can contribute to the development of acne. However, experts are not in agreement as to whether or not stress does contribute to the development of acne.
Many people are convinced that eating greasy foods contribute to the development of acne. Medical testing has revealed that this is not the case. Large amounts of sugar and chocolate are believed by some to contribute to acne though conclusive evidence of this remains to be found.
The skin as we all know grows hair on it. The base of the hair, below the skin's surface is known as the hair 'follicle'. The hair protrudes through a tiny opening, or pore, in the skin. Below the skin are glands called sebaceous glands. These glands produce a special kind of oil called sebum. The body uses sebum to lubricate the skin's surface and the hair. People with oily hair tend to produce more sebum than others.
For reasons unknown and due at least in part to the things discussed above, sometimes the body produces too much sebum. In addition, the body may also shed dead skin cells at a higher rate than normal. This combination can create a blockage in the openning of the skin where the hair protrudes. When this happens the sebum and dead skin cells cannot escape. Often, to complicate matters, bacteria can get into that clogged openning and infect the already afflicted area. The result of this is acne.
Acne sometimes shows up as a whitehead, where the mixture of sebum, dead skin, dirt and bacteria create a small white head. Other times a blackhead appears. Many believe that the black color is caused by dirt within the skin pore. This is not correct. The black color in a blackhead is caused by the melanin in the dead skin that has been exposed to air and has therefore become oxydized. On occasion, the resulting acne is an inflamed, often infected, red bump that is a bit painful to the touch. This is your classic pimple. In worst cases acne can develop deep within the skin and form a cyst. Cysts can become interconnected, causing large grotesque scars on the skin's surface.
Some people insist that bad hygiene and dirt cannot cause acne. You might recognize however, that ultimately, the cause of acne is clogged or blocked pores in the skin that the hair grows out of. If anything causes a blockage, the sebum and dead skin cells under the skin are sure to get trapped. The result is invariably, acne. So, dirt does contribute to acne. Certain kinds of cosmetics also contribute. Anything that will attract bacteria will contribute, as bacteria will attach any vulnerable part of the skin with every opportunity.
While healthy eating and good hygiene cannot alone prevent acne from developing, they can certainly deter it. Other specific treatment methods also exist to help manage acne breakouts. Be sure to continue your research and learn how to control your acne.