One of the best weapons in the fight against acne is knowledge; if you know what causes acne, it’s easier to formulate a good plan of attack. It makes sense that acne tends to be associated with teens. Over 85% of them start to have to deal with the problem, which is a nuisance. During this stage of life 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 worsens when the pores close and become clogged from excess sebum. This can cause whiteheads to form, and they can burst from increasing pressure. This transfers the bacteria to the outside of your face, for instance and it gets distributed. Next step, the bacteria can 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.

People have often inquired about the role genetics plays in the acne field. The results I found from researching say there hasn’t been any infallible studies to confirm it. In contrast, documentation shows that acne can be passed along in the family tree. But, that’s partly due to family living.

This is a question I get all the time, and everyone is always amazed at my answer. It’s actually a more minor cause. Certain foods that are greasy, don’t translate into increased oil in the skin. And, any food that tends to increase the production of sebum (oil) or certain hormones will have an effect. But, there wasn’t any study that suggests that the common culprits-soft drinks, chocolate and greasy cheeseburgers-play a large role in producing acne.

Sebum (oil) and hormones are the two major factors that really cause acne. All the products out there work on the principle of controlling the sebum and keeping the pores unclogged. During the teen years, there is more activity with the hormones which in turn cause the sebaceous glands to secrete more oil. When this mixes deep in the pores with bacteria and the pores become clogged, the result is acne.

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