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Acne Control (Home) > Acne Basics > Causes of Acne

Causes of Acne - How it Occurs?
July 27, 2008

There is not a single reason why people get acne and for some people they may never fully know why they get acne. There are many factors involved with acne including hereditary.

The following are several of the more common causes of acne:

Hormonal activity. For women this can be menstrual cycles and for men this can be puberty.
Stress can play a role in acne because of the increased output of hormones from the adrenal glands.
Hormone sources from stress, menstrual cycles and puberty can cause hyperactive sebaceous glands, which can cause acne.
Acne can also be caused by an accumulation of dead skin cells.
A buildup of bacteria in the clogged pores can cause the body to become allergic which will cause acne.
Skin irritation or scratching will cause inflammation, which can lead to acne.
People who take anabolic steroids can have acne because of their medication.
In addition, any people who take medications containing lithium, barbiturates, androgens or halogens such as iodides, chlorides or bromides will have problems with acne because of their medicines.
If you are exposed to high levels of chlorine compounds, usually chlorinated dioxins will have a severe, long-lasting form of acne called Chloracne.

Hormone Causes

Most attention has been focused on the causes of acne because of hormone levels. Hormone driven over production of sebum is the main contributing factor of acne. Several specific hormones have been linked to acne. The male hormones testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), as well as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This has been proved since acne prone skin has been insulin resistant.

Second Leading Cause of Acne

Lately scientists and doctors have been focusing on another common cause of acne. They have focused their attention on the narrowing of the hair follicle channel as a contributing factor to acne. The abnormal shedding of the cells that line the follicle, abnormal cell binding known as hyperkeratinization within the follicle, or water retention in the skin that causes the skin to swell and press the follicles shut have been mentioned as leading causes of acne among scientists and doctors.

Acne Later in Life

It is usually uncommon for someone to develop the common form of acne, acne vulgaris later in life. However, there is another form of acne known as rosacea, which has a similar appearance to acne. Adults who get acne vulgaris will typically have it because of an underlying condition such as pregnancy and disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome or occasionally the rare Cushing’s syndrome.

Some Other Factors

In addition to the factors listed above, there are still several addition factors that can play a part in triggering acne or making it worse. These can include:

Rubbing the skin.
Picking or squeezing the skin.
Pollution in the atmosphere.
High humidity levels.
Scrubbing the skin.
Pressure from bike helmets, backpacks or tight collars.

Details of Acne

Doctors have described acne as a disease of the pilosebaceous units or PSUs. These are found almost everywhere on the body and consist of a sebaceous gland that is connected to a canal called a follicle containing a fine hair. The most PSUs are found on the face, upper back and chest. These glands make an oily substance called sebum, which normally empties onto the skin surface through an opening in the follicle called a pore. Cells called keratinocytes line the follicle.

The hair, sebum or keratinocytes that are in the follicle will cause a plug that is an early sign of acne. The plug prevents the sebum from reaching the surface of the skin. The mixture of oils and cells under the skin then causes bacteria to grow. The bacterium in turn produces chemicals and enzymes that attract white blood cells, which in turn cause inflammation. Once the wall of the follicle breaks down everything spills out onto the nearby skin, which causes the lesions or pimples.

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