Acne Causes

Acne is a common skin disorder, affecting people of all age groups, especially teenagers. It can be mild or severe. Due to this problem, people face depression and embarrassment.

How Does Acne Develop

Basically, it is a disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. A number of hair follicles are present on the face, upper neck, and chest. Sebaceous glands produce sebum (oil) to moisturize the skin and hair.

Whenever sebaceous glands enlarge and produce more sebum due to androgen hormones and bacteria, known as Propionibacterium grows within the swollen follicle. It causes skin irritation and a “whitehead” appears. Due to exposure to air, it turns black and is known as a “blackhead.” Often, it turns into pimples.

Pimples mainly affect the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, upper arms, and legs. They can mainly be seen on the face. Mostly, these are caused due to heredity and hormonal problems.

Sufferers

It is a problem among all age groups, but mostly occurs in teenagers. Acne affects both male and female equally, but boys are more prone to this problem because of their oily skin. The problem reduces by the age of 25, but it can continue well into adult years.

Root cause of acne

Hormonal causes, immune system, and heredity are responsible for this problem. The androgen hormone is responsible for oiler complexion and pimples. Women undergo many hormonal changes during menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, and perimenopause. During these phases of life, lesions are most likely to develop. Other factors that may cause pimples are oily cosmetics, stress, certain drugs, and hard scrubbing of the skin.

Acne Types

1. Papule : It is a small, firm, and pink bump. It is without pus or white head.

2. Pustule : It is a typical pimple. It is red in color and has a white head. A pustule can be small to large in size and does not have a large number of bacteria.

3. Nodule: A nodules is a large, reddened bump. It is found deep within the skin tissues. It is a deep infection and causes severe problem.

4. Cyst: It is a large, very painful, red, and pus-filled lesion. It occurs deep within the dermis. A cyst can cause deep scars.

5. Acne Conglobata: This is a rare but very serious form of lesions. It develops on the face, chest, back, and buttocks. There may be a severe bacterial infection due to the presence of pustules and cysts.

Treatments for acne

This is a complex problem. Generally, there is no cure for pimples, but there are many treatments for acne

1. Mild cases of pimples can be treated at home. Do not squeeze a lesion; it often makes the breakout worse. A good daily skin care regime should be followed.

2. Over-the-counter acne treatments like benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid can be useful. But, these medicines may cause side effects like skin irritation, redness, or burning. Always consult your doctor.

3. Prescription medicines like retinoid cream or gel, or antibiotics such as minocycline, doxycycline, and tetracycline can be effective.

Facing acne problem! Don’t worry, take good care of your skin and follow the advice of your dermatologist.

Acne causes a large number of people to worry and be stressed about their skin and they start looking for its treatment as soon as possible. Acne is mainly red skin rash that primarily develops in teenagers and young adults. It may however, happen at all ages. There are more than half a dozen forms of acne. All of them are connected with the glands connected with hair follicles. Acne generally begins with blackheads. They are not dirt but actually the result of dead cells and oil getting trapped in a pore of skin. There they mix with bacteria and block the duct and then turn black when they are exposed to air. Pimples build up when blackheads get inflamed and spread when touched with hands. Infected pimples develop whitehead or pustule which can split and cause scars.

Bacteria : Although, the cause of pimples is still unknown and different people have different views, there are some primary factors that contribute to the development of acne. For reasons not completely understood, follicles, called pores, get blocked causing sebum and bacteria to grow. This plays an important role in acne development. Bacteria known as Propionibacterium produce substances that cause irritation and redness, and are mainly responsible for causing acne. They make enzymes that dissolve the oil into irritating substances. Acne scars can become serious if not handled properly in the moderate stage.

Hormones:Certain hormones responsible for acne called androgens are one of many acne causes. Androgens are male hormones which are present in men and women. Androgens, first, enlarge the sebaceous glands in the skin and then cause these glands to increase production of sebum. This increased sebum serves as more food for the bacteria.

Estrogens, the female hormones, actually help to improve acne in girls. A woman’s monthly menstrual cycle is because of the changes in the estrogens levels in the body. That is why acne, in a female, gets better and worse as she goes through her monthly cycle.

Genetic factors:Genetic factors often contribute heavily in cases of acne formations and acne scars. Some people get worse acne than others because their sebaceous glands are extra sensitive to other male hormones. This sensitivity is believed to be inherited, explaining why acne runs in families. Hormones cause the glands to over-react and birth control pills can cause breakouts. Bad quality and cheap cosmetics lead to bacteria-laden pores.

Stress: Stress, many a times, causes oil glands to over-compensate. Be it mental or physical, it is one of the major reasons of acne formation. In majority of cases, the sufferer’s skin consists of clogged pores that are not even visible. Stress causes inflammatory response. As a result of this, walls of the pore break causing redness around the broken pore, and an influx of pus formation. Almost all forms of acne have their origin because of wrong food habits, such as improper food, irregular hours of eating, excess starch or sugar and fatty foods. Acne causes have also been identified because of chronic constipation.