The cause of acne, for most sufferers, is the change of hormones within the human body upon reaching puberty.

About 80% of all adolescents are affected at some point, with spots and pimples occurring on the face, back, chest and neck of the individual. Androgens, a type of hormone, can trigger the sebaceous glands into the over-production of sebum (oil), which is usually the main cause of acne.

The main purpose of sebum is to maintain the suppleness of the skin, but where it occurs in over abundance, it creates more problems than it solves and is the underlying cause of acne.

When oil on the skins surface combines with dead skin cells and bacteria, pores become blocked. This then becomes a cause of acne and the bacteria inside the blocked pore starts to multiply, resulting in spots and pimples.

Unfortunately, many products intended to help keep skin healthy can actually become a cause of acne. This is because certain ingredients are too harsh for our skin and result in the sebaceous glands producing even more oil.

Other hormones besides androgens have been found to be a cause of acne. Cortisol is produced as a result of stress and studies have proved that acne can be aggravated by it’s rising levels.

Acne can also be a hereditary condition. It does tend to run in families leading specialists to believe there may also be a genetic cause of acne.

Sometimes, certain drugs we are prescribed to treat other ailments can be a possible cause of acne. These include steroids and oral contraceptives. Despite this, there are certain hormone regulating oral contraceptives, which are actually prescribed to treat acne and certain other skin problems.

There are, in women, certain medical conditions that can be the reason for acne. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) also causes excessive amounts of androgens to be produced, with lots of other unpleasant side effects.

Severe scarring is often caused by acne, leaving the sufferer with unpleasant marks on their skin that often remain for life. However, the chances of scarring can be greatly reduced if the urge to pick and squeeze spots is resisted as these actions can cause the infection to travel deeper into the skin tissue, causing extensive damage.

Unfortunately, in some individuals, severe inflammatory acne with large cysts develops beneath the skin’s surface. Even if left alone, these cysts can rupture causing the infection to spread and usually result in scars.

The root cause of acne is neither a poor diet or poor hygiene, although it goes without saying that if a person does not wash their face or ensure their make-up is removed, bacteria is sure to breed on the skins surface and spots will occur.

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