Acne Dissected: The Causes

Despite extensive research into the causes of acne and why certain people consistently suffer, while others never experience a single bout of acne, it has never been scientifically proven as to the exact cause of acne.

There are however, contributing factors often associated with those who have acne and those who don’t, including:

Acne Causes - Puberty
Teenagers and zits, they always seem to go hand in hand, and it’s a time in our life that even those of us who have never suffered from acne before (or after) experienced the symptoms of breakouts. In fact, studies have revealed that over 94% of the entire population between the ages of 12 and 24 have suffered from acne at one time or another.The reason why acne is so common amongst teenagers is based around the hormone, androgens, which begin to work overtime as we approach puberty.

Androgens can cause our hair follicles and skin pores to become enlarged and extremely oily and when the oil mixes with our skin cells, it can cause our pores to become blocked, resulting in temporary acne breakouts.

Acne Causes - Your Hormones
Hormones seem to play a major role in causing acne, and has been consistently linked to causing severe acne in both teenagers and adults.

Acne Causes - It’s a Family Thing - Hereditary
It’s been said that while acne is not directly hereditary, if your parents suffered from severe acne, you are far more prone to acne yourself. Scientists are still studying the links between children with acne and parents and no concrete evidence of a direct connection is available at this time.

Acne Causes - Your Prescriptions
Depending on the type of medication you are on, specific prescription drugs are known to cause acne to flare up, especially anti depressant and anti anxiety medications, as well as specific types of steroids, barbiturates and lithium. If you are on any medication and you believe that it is causing your acne to flare up, contact your doctor and discuss alternative prescription based options that you can take to avoid causing your acne to get worse.DO NOT stop taking your medication until you consult with your family doctor.

Acne Causes - Our Environment
If you’ve been exposed to chemicals at your workplace, or even at home with household cleaners, air fresheners or scented detergents, you might find that your existing acne may become temporarily irritated.

There have also been case studies performed where people who had no former history of acne began to experience extreme breakouts after being subjected to ongoing chemical cleaners, especially when cleaning without protecting their hands with gloves.

Home Remedies for Acne