Back to the age-old question….What are the causes of acne?

Every effect has its own cause

The causes of acne bring about effects that are intolerable. To prevent the awful effects of acne, here are some of the acne causes that should be avoided or be known by everyone.

Almost all teenagers get acne at one time or another. You haven’t done anything to cause your acne. It’s not your fault if you have it.

Acne is caused when oil ducts in the skin get plugged up and then burst, causing redness and swelling. Although there are many myths about acne, the following are the major causes of acne:

1. Genetics

If your parents had acne as a teenager, there’s a good chance you will too. Genes carry the information from parents. So this acne cause cant be avoided.

2. Hormones

During adolescence, hormones called androgens become active and stimulate oil glands in your skin. This unbalance in production of hormones increases oil production. This, in turn, clogs pores, causing pimples and blackheads.

Hormonal changes that occur during your period or when you start or stop taking birth control pills can also cause an acne flare-up. In some cases, however, certain birth control pills are prescribed as a treatment for acne.

3. Stress

Although stress doesn’t actually a cause of acne, it will potentially aggravate this or any other skin condition you may have.

4. Diet

Dermatologists aren’t sure whether or not what we eat can be a cause of acne. Some experts do believe, however, that food allergies can trigger acne outbreaks.

5. Washing your face too often

This can aggravate the skin, causing acne to occur.

6. Using greasy skin care products and oily cosmetics.

Any product that clogs oil ducts may be a cause of acne.

7. Medications

Acne can be a side effect of some drugs, including barbiturates, seizure medication and steroids.

8. Plugged oil ducts

If you are prone to acne, the cells that line the oil ducts in your skin tend to get larger and produce more oil, and the ducts get plugged. This traps the oil and leads to the formation of blackheads or whiteheads.

The plugged ducts allow germs in the skin to multiply and produce chemicals that are causes of acne. This is why simple blackheads and whiteheads may turn red and bumpy and turn into acne.

There are also some wrong notions about the causes of acne. Here are some causes that are plainly myths:

1. Acne is not caused by foods you eat. Despite what you may have heard, there is no proof that soft drinks, chocolate and greasy foods cause acne.

2. It is not caused by dirt. The black plug in a blackhead is caused by a chemical reaction. It’s not dirt. No matter how carefully you wash your face, you can still have acne.

3. It is not something you can get or give to another person. In short, its not contagious.

4. Sexual thoughts or masturbation is not a cause of acne. Though it can be a cause of hormonal unbalance, its not proven to directly cause acne.

Pinching acne, which forces oil from the oil ducts into the surrounding normal skin, causing redness and swelling can also cause secondary infection of acne.

Harsh scrubbing, which irritates the skin and other things that rub on the skin, such as headbands, hats, hair and chin straps, which also cause irritation can also cause acne.

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