In this article, find out what acne is and how the pimples are formed. Also, discover the underlying causes of skin acne from genetics to diet.

Pimples or zits are commonly referred to as acne vulgaris in the medical world. Skin acne is caused by a change in the hair follicle or pore and the sebaceous gland attached to that pore. In harsh cases pimples form which is the result of inflammation of these pore or follicles.

Adolescence

Acne develops most often in teenagers. Usually it will wane over time and completely disappear after an individual reaches his early twenties. In extreme cases, it will last into the thirties and forties. The appearance of acne in adolescence can be especially stressful to the teenager, as this is a time when personal insecurities are rampant. Having a faceful of pimples only adds to this insecurity and can lead to severe depression. Therefore aggressive treatment is recommended.

Location

Skin acne is most often found on the face and neck. However, the shoulders, chest, back and sometimes upper arms can be affected too.

Formation of a Pimple

When the follicles become blocked, acne will form. A plug of keratin and sebum will form in the follicle. When sebaceous glands grow at puberty, the sebum enlarges and forms a blackhead or a whitehead. Whiteheads are due to pores being clogged with sebum. Blackheads form due to the oxidation of keratin. Sebum is oil in the skin and, in combination with skin bacteria results in inflammation and pimples.

Primary Causes of Skin Acne

One of the main causes of acne is family history. Acne does tend to run in families. In addition, puberty increases the level of androgens. This resulted in larger sebaceous glands and more sebum.

Another cause of acne is stress. Stress increases hormonal output, which leads to more sebum production and more clogged pores. And abnormally hyperactive sebaceous glands can lead to skin acne too.

Dead skin cells can get trapped in pores, causing blockage and bacteria itself can result in pimples. Using anabolic steroids or medications with barbiturates, androgens or lithium can all lead to skin acne.

Exposure to chlorinated dioxins can also cause acne. And a specific kind of acne, Halogen acne, is the result of exposure to bromides, chlorides and iodides, all know as halogens.

Hormones are another acne producer. Testosterone, DHEAS, DHT and insulin-like growth factor as have been shown to increase acne.

Acne that develops in later years can be the result of Roscea. Or it can indicate an underlying disease such as Cushing’s syndrome or polycystic ovary syndrome in women.

Diet

Certain foods have also been linked to acne. Skim milk, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sherbet and some instant breakfast drinks have all been shown to increase the likelihood of skin acne. In addition, food high in carbohydrates are another contributing factor.

Acne is not caused by dirt. Although oil on the skin can keep the pores from washing out the keratin and dead skin cells. As a result these substances get trapped inside the follicle and eventually result in a pimple. Therefore it is a good idea to keep the skin cleaned of oil that can clog the pores.