home :: acne treatments :: cause of acne

Factors Contribute To The Cause Of Acne

Sometimes it's hard to tell the cause of acne exactly or why it usually begins in adolescence. Sometimes the cause of acne is heredity. If one of your parents had acne, there's a chance that you will too. About 80% of all teenagers develop acne, but this disease can also begin as late as the ages 25 or 30, particularly for women.

A number of factors contribute to the cause of acne. The primary problem is that the abnormal flaking of cells inside the hair follicle leads to the formation of a plug. The plug can enlarge and even rupture the hair follicle. A ruptured hair follicle spills its contents of oil and debris into the skin where it leads to swelling and causes redness (inflammation).

- Bacteria that normally live on the skin also play a role in cause of acne. The bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes are responsible for causing acne. These bacteria produce substances that cause redness and irritation (inflammation). They also make enzymes, which dissolve the sebum (oil from oil glands in the skin) into irritating substances. These substances make the inflammation worse.

- Certain hormones called androgens are an additional factors in cause of acne. Androgens are male hormones that are present in both men and women, but are higher in men. They do two things: First, they enlarge the sebaceous glands in the skin. Second, they cause these glands to increase sebum (oil) production. The increased sebum leads to plug formation and serves as more "food" for the bacteria. Androgens surge at puberty, which is why teens develop armpit and pubic hair, and why boys develop facial hair and deeper voices. This hormonal surge also contributes to the cause of acne in teens.

- Estrogens, which are the female hormones, actually can help to improve acne in girls. A woman's monthly menstrual cycle is due to changes in the estrogen levels in her body. This is why acne in a female may get better and then get worse as she goes through her monthly cycle. A doctor may recommend acne treatment with birth control pills, which contain the helpful estrogens.

Topical Steroids as a Cause of Acne Rosacea in Children

Steroid-induced acne rosacea is usually treated with an antibiotic and continuation of a low-potency topical steroid. The time required for clearing of the lesions after institution of treatment is unknown. When the cause of acne is topical steroids - topical metronidazole is usually used to treat and 8 to 14 weeks of therapy are required to clear the lesions.

Does Junk Food Contribute To The Cause Of Acne?

It's been three decades since dermatologists started telling teenage patients and their parents that the cause of adolescent acne was not tied to young people's consumption of chocolate, French fries, or soda pop. Dermatologists said research did not show that diet caused the development of pimples.