Archive for March 12, 2009

One predicament that has troubled skin experts all over the world is identifying the precise acne causes. The most commonly accepted theory suggests that there are basically five main causes of acne, although there are many other documented reasons that vary on an individual basis.

1. Hormonal Acne Causes

Hormones affect many of our bodily functions and the overall metabolism. Androgen or the male hormones, such as testosterone, are known to be a bigger cause of acne than the female hormones. Hence men, particularly those involved in strenuous physical activities, are more prone to developing hormonal acne.

2. Pregnancy-Related Acne

This form of acne is found among pregnant women, since their bodies undergo extreme hormonal changes. Hormones such as progesterone are secreted in high volumes and this directly stimulates an acne breakout. Again, women who have irregular menstrual cycles are prone to developing acne. This is because menstruation and hormone secretion are inter-related.

3. Skin-Related Acne Causes

The pores on the skin are found abundantly on the upper part of the body, including the face and the neck. Acne conditions arise when there is constriction of the skin pores. This causes a collection of skin debris, hair and dust in the pores which in turn encourages bacterial growth. Skin pore plugging arises due to two main factors:

• Unclean Skin (external factor) — if the skin, particularly facial skin isn’t regularly cleaned, dust and contaminants tend to get accumulated in the pores and block them.
• Excessive Sebum (internal factor) — sebaceous glands or the sweat-producing glands produce an oily substance called sebum. This is beneficial as it keeps the outer surface of the skin well-moisturized. However, excessive sebum production causes blockage of the pores

4. Liver-Related Acne Causes

Liver is a vital organ that performs the function of detoxifying the body of its toxins. When the liver isn’t functioning at its full capacity, these contaminants tend to get accumulated in the blood stream. Hence, these harmful substances get passed into the colon and the skin. This causes undue stress on the vessels of the skin, often causing mild skin inflammation and acne.

5. Lymph-Related Acne Causes

Our bodies have a very well-branched out lymphatic system that is connected to nearly every organ. The lymphatic system is susceptible when it comes to carrying blood impurities to the skin tissues. These toxins get absorbed along the hair follicles, causing a spurt in the growth of bacteria. This causes bacterial infections, which aggravates and forms skin lesions or acne.

6. Digestion-Related Acne Causes

Serious skin problems can arise when the intestines aren’t able to get rid of the toxic substances that get accumulated during the process of digestion. These toxins then reach the secondary organs. Here, due to the build-up of impurities, these toxins are involuntary passed into the blood stream and are transferred to the skin among the other body organs.

Individualistic Acne Causes

For many people, the above-mentioned causes may not be the primary cause for developing acne. The reason is simple — the human body is a complex mechanism and its functions are different in every individual. Some people tend to develop acne while they are under medication, such as a powerful drug therapy. Even stress (psychological factor) is known to be among the various causes of acne for a few people.