Exposing The Chief Causes Of Acne

There may be a lot of myths out there about what causes acne. While many of these statements can be confusing for someone who is trying to deal with this skin problem, it is important to separate fact from fiction. There are three major contributing factors to this skin problem, which include: oil in maximum production of oil in the skin, irritation of the hair follicles because of abnormal and abundant dead skin cells and the collection of bacteria in the skin.

Acne is the result of a combination oil and skin cells that are dead. These mix together inside the hair follicle. How? Well, each hair follicle is connected to a gland called a "sebaceous gland". This gland produces oils that work to lubricate the hair and skin.

Once produced the oil moves through the hair shafts and out of the hair follicles, in order to do its lubricating job. The problem occurs when excess oil is produced and then mixes with dead skin cells. This combination forms a clog under the skin's surface. This is how pimples begin to form on the surface of the skin.

The actual pimple you see on your skin is a direct result of this clog. This is because the mix of oil and dead skin cells push against the follicle wall, causing it to expand. You will then see the white head of the pimple. If the clog is exposed to open air and bacteria, a blackhead is formed.

When these clogs happen deep within the hair follicle, much lower than right beneath the skin's surface, lumps known as cysts are formed. These are often the red lumps that do not have a white or black head you will notice with the formation of acne. So what about sweat glands? In comparison to the hair follicle, the pores of sweat glands are not typically involved in skin conditions.

So, the cause of how pimples are formed may be clear, but the reason behind the increased amount of oil production is still not clear, even to researchers. There are some indications of why this production increases. Hormone imbalances, bacteria, side effect of medicines and simple heredity factors all play a role.

Often, people will wrongly assume that acne is the result of poor hygiene, which is not the case. In reality, too much cleaning of the face with soaps can irritate the skin and cause a batch of other skin problems. Normal washing of the face with gentle soap is helpful for skin maintenance. If you continuously feel stressed about your skin condition, consult a doctor.