Monday, March 16, 2009

Major Causes of Acne

Acne is the condition in which skin is characterized by white heads, dark heads, zits or swollen red pimples. Acne normally occurs on the face, neck and shoulder and sometimes on the arms, legs and buttocks. It is not a severe health threat, but its harshness could lead to permanent scarring in the body. It is very common in teenagers, but it is not a rule that adults do not get infected with acne.

The actual cause of acne is not well known and it is believed that acne comes from several related factors. Acne is seen as a cause of unclean and unhealthy skin but it is actually not related to any unhealthy dirt or hygiene. The swelling can form scars, which can be removed in some cases. In the worst cases the scar will be stable and everlasting one and cannot be removed.

Acne is a skin disease that is predominantly caused through bacteria. Acne is more prevalent during teenage and is seen around the face, shoulder and back. Hormonal changes are another cause of acne during teenage. The increase in androgen hormone makes the sebaceous glands to produce excessive sebum. Teenage boys and girls experience dramatic change in hormonal level with increased androgen, thus making them prone to acne.

Stress is also one of the major causes of acne. High stress level makes the body to produce certain hormones and increase the levels of harmful toxins in the body. These harmful toxins aggravate acne.

Research shows that there is no direct link between eating oily foods and acne. But it is better to avoid fried items, food containing lot of sugar and processed food because it is sure to worsen acne by disturbing the body system.

Drugs like bromides, corticosteroids, lithium etc have ingredients that are sure to stimulate acne. It is not safe to take these drugs if you are prone to acne.

Generally people with oily skin are more prone to acne. This is because the testosterone is converted into dihydrotesterone that set off excessive oil secretion. The excess oil blocks the skin pores making it unable to shed the dead cells. These dead skin cells stay in the pore and ultimately cause acne.