It is not that you do something and because of that you get acne. For the whole episode of acne, the tiny glands beneath your skin are mainly responsible. These glands are called sebaceous glands. They are very near to the surface of your skin and are attached to small holes in the skin, known as hair follicles. Hair shoots out only from this small hole. The sebaceous glands lubricate the hair and also the skin. Your skin does not dry out due to this reason. This lubrication mechanism involves production of an oily substance by the sebaceous glands. This lubricating substance is known as sebum. There are occasions when the sebaceous glands produce very high level of sebum. When this happens, the excess amount of sebum combines with dead skin cells and plug the follicle. If the blocked follicle is proximate to the skin surface, it bulges out, causing whitehead acne. If the plugged follicle is open to the skin, it causes blackhead acne. Sometimes, the blocked follicles are infected by the harmless bacteria living on the skin. In this situation you may get papules, nodules, cysts or pustule which belongs to the acne family. In brief, over secretion of sebum becomes the main cause of any type of acne.
If you are a teenager, the levels of hormone known as testosterone increase, especially during puberty. This hormone plays a key role in stimulation of growth of the body. It also induces development of the genital parts. The sebaceous glands respond to this hormone quickly and promptly, thereby producing more sebum than what is actually required. As discussed above, this leads to formation of acne on your body.
If you are an adult, particularly a woman, you are more prone than adult men to acne. Statistically, 80% of adult acne occurs in women. The hormone level changes take place in women due to many reasons. Women may experience pronouncement of acne when their menstrual period is proximate. Pregnant women may experience acne symptoms usually during the first three months of their pregnancy. There is one more common condition for women, known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Acne can be caused by this condition. In this condition tiny cysts may occur inside the ovary.
Irrespective of the age or sex, certain medications can cause side effects in the people taking such medications. Acne also can be one of these side effects. For example, lithium and steroid medication used for treating bipolar disorder can cause acne.
Your lifestyle also can cause acne. If you are a person suffering of stress continually, androgens in your body are converted into testosterone, which causes too much production of sebum, resulting in formation of acne. If you do not sleep adequately, stress could increase in you and aggravate the risk of acne formation. If you are not drinking enough quantity of water, which is about 12 liters per day, then wastes and toxins can block your hair follicles, causing acne. If you take stimulants quite often you may get acne. If you eat foods rich in fat, you are prone to acne. If you use astringent natural soaps it may cause shrinking of skin pores and hence occurrence of acne.