What really causes acne ?

Introduction

Acne is one of the most common medical conditions and itusually affects the facial skin, even though it may occur in other parts of thebody as well. Most people who suffer from acne just want to get rid of thisannoying medical condition, no matter what. In order to find the right solutionone needs to fully understand what acne actually is and, what is even moreimportant, realize what the actual causes of acne are. It is a common myth thatnatural body oils and hormonal balances cause the occurrence of acne. Thesereally are among the most common causes of acne, but other causes may alsoinclude an aggressive immune system, various types of bacteria and clogged skinpores. The human skin is covered with pores which have glands attached to them.These glands produce a natural type of oil which moisturizes the skin, and theoil is called sebum. The pores are lined with keratinocytes which slough offonce their life span expires and if they do not get flushed out by the sebumand the cells in the pores become sticky and thick, mostly due to hormonalimbalances. The pores get block and trap the sebum oil which commonly resultsin blackheads or whiteheads, which are actually types of acne that do notinvolve any inflammatory conditions. The harmful bacteria thrive in dark, oilyand warm places where they are exposes to very little amounts of oxygen. Skin poresare such places. The immune system adds some more fuel to the fire and launchesa certain response which only makes the condition worse. The acne becomes evenmore prone to scarring and inflammatory conditions. An unhealthy diet may alsobe one of the causes of acne. One should be aware of the fact that acne cannotbe cured, it can only be controlled by a very strict skin care regimen.

What Really Causes Acne?

Most people who suffer from acne do not have any idea whatactually causes acne in the first place, so that is why they try to treat itwith very little success. There is a popular belief that acne is triggered byimproper hygiene, but that is only a part of the big picture. Most mild cases canbe treated by numerous over the counter treatments fairly easily, but severecases require a visit to a dermatologist in order to get some prescribedmedicaments.