What Causes Acne?

In what we know medically, there are four important steps that leading to the cause of acne. These steps responsible to associate blackhead, whitehead and pimple with acne. Those steps are: Overproduction of oil by oil’s gland, clogged skin pores, skin bacteria activities, inflammation of the skin.

The overproduction of oil by oil’s gland,

Oil’s Gland is the producer of the oil that located deep within the skin, and it has a very small channel that contains a hair called a follicle. The opening channel in the skin surface is called the skin pores.

The oil from the oil's gland flows to the skin's surface through these channels to lubricate the follicles of the hair and the surrounding skin.

Eventhough overproduction of oil is the first step of what causes acne, however the oil production itself is heavily stimulated by hormones, specifically the masculine hormones called androgens (Eventhough it's masculine hormones, women do have these hormones as well but much more less). These hormones are produced by the androgens glands which located in testes in men and in the ovaries in women.

When we are stress, the androgens glands produce more androgens hormone which will lead to overproductive of oil's glands.

During puberty, the hormonal changes lead to overactive of the oil's glands.

So the next time if some what you feel that your skin is so oily, just remember that it can cause acne.

clogged skin pores

The second step of what causes acne is the clogged skin pores. As the oil normally runs through the channel to the skin surface, along with it is the dead cells.

When the skin so oily, some of the oil cannot reach the skin surface and trapped within the skin pores along with the dead cells. Somehow this dead cells group together and make the skin pores clogged.

Some what it is this clogged that will cause the blackheads and the whiteheads types of acne.

Abnormal Skin Bacteria activity

Infection from bacteria got nothing to do with what so ever that causes acne. However, bacteria do play an important role to make things worse.

It is bacterium Propionibacterium acnes as a part of a normal skin surface. It's function is to keep the skin away from the harmful bacteria.

Bacterium Propionibacterium acnes grows in the clogged channel of the skin pores. It produce a chemical agent which reaction can change the oil composition, resulted an irritation and inflammation to the skin.

Skin Inflammation

The skin inflammation happens due to the body immune system is reacting to get rid of a foreign substance. It can be characterized by feeling warmth and discomfort, redness and swelling. What it got to do with the causes of acne? With acne this foreign substance can be the irritating compounds or the bacteria.

Some what it is this inflammation that will cause the pimples and the cysts types of acne.