Saturday, August 22, 2009

Causes of Acne

acne gone after 4 weeksIf you are a teenager, you can’t wait to get rid of it. If you are an adult, you can’t believe it’s back. Fortunately, improvements in acne treatments over the last decade mean you don’t have to put up with it anymore.

The major determining factor in who gets acne is genes, in other words, you may have inherited a skin characteristic that makes you more likely to develop acne. You have thousands of oil glands in the skin on your face, chest and back that lubricate the skin by producing sebum or oil. The oil from the glands flows through tiny ducts to the skin surface. Sometimes, these oil ducts become plugged with sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells that are shed from the lining of the duct. That’s acne. The condition often appears during adolescence because of changing hormone levels, which enlarge the oil glands and encourage them to produce more oil. Although the process is not well understood, the increase in oil appears to fuel acne, perhaps by stimulating the production of “sticky” skin cells that, when shed, tend to plug the duct. The situation usually settles down by the end of the teen years or during the early 20s.

So why do adults develop acne? There are variety reasons, among them:
  • Hormones. If you have acne along with menstrual irregularities, you may want to see a physician to see if abnormal hormone levels are to blame.
  • Stress. Dermatologists agree that high levels of stress can affect hormone levels.
  • Cosmetics. Wearing heavy, oil makeup may clog pores and cause acne.
  • Occupational exposure. Numerous chemicals in the workplace can also cause acne especially if you’re a mechanic or standing over the deep-fat fryer at the local fast-food joint. Your face may be getting assaulted by oils, some of which may case acne.
  • Certain medications. Some drugs, such as Dilantin (which is used in the treatment of epilepsy), can cause acne.
No matter what’s causing your acne, there are acne treatment simple steps you can take to help clear up your skin.


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