Acne - Causes and Treatment Options

What is it and What Are Its Causes?

Acne can be very isolating and painful. Acne can cause a person to focus more on their acne than on the things they should be focusing on in life. There seems to be no hope oftentimes. However, the first step to curing acne once and for all is to understand what acne really is and what causes acne. 

Acne is a term to describe pores on the face, neck, chest, upper arms, and back that may be plugged. The pores in these areas are often blocked due to dead skin in a pore or due to excess oil. The causes of the excess oil are hormonal shifts and bacteria. Most people don’t really have a problem with acne until the age of twelve, when the hormones really begin to kick in. For this reason, most teenagers will struggle with acne on some level. Even though many teenager will not experience acne that is out of control, over forty percent of teenagers will experience sever acne. Even though acne often disappears in the twenties, there are many people that really experience acne at its worst around this time. 

Some people are more prone than others to having problems with acne. More men are likely to have problems with acne than women. However, women are more likely to go to a dermatologist before things get worse. Women are more likely to experience acne irregularly, due to hormonal shifts during the menstrual cycle or due to the cosmetics they use. That is why there are more women who struggle with acne in adulthood than men. 

There are many myths related to acne out there, such as acne is caused by poor hygiene or by a poor diet. People that do not wash their face at all or those who wash their face frequently and in a harsh manor are obviously more likely to have problems than those who use a mild cleaner and an acne treatment after. Scientists have proven time and time again that there is little to no connection between what you eat and the severity of acne.