What causes acne?

You wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day. Everything seems to be going well. Waking up isn’t too hard because you have something to look forward to, maybe a party or other social gathering. You begin your normal daily routine but immediately stop as you pass by the mirror.

“A zit!”

Or maybe it’s, “More zits!” or “There still there!” or “They’ve gotten worse!”

Either way, it’s not a good thing. Once again, you’ve been stopped in your tracks by acne. For those of you who only get an occasional pimple or blemish, it can be upsetting. For those who have moderate to severe acne, it can be a continuation of a long battle you’ve been stuck in.

You could be one of the millions of teenagers with acne, or you could be one of the unlucky few adults with adult acne. What causes this acne that is constantly plaguing you, even on your good days?

Acne Explained

Acne, zits, blemishes, pimples, blackheads, they all mean you have one or many clogged pores. Acne isn’t a life-threatening disease, but it can destroy anyone’s self-confidence and even cause the vainest person to become self conscious.

Our skin is made up of tiny pores each with a hair follicle and hair. There are hair follicles covering our entire body except for our palms, the bottoms of our feet, and our lips.

Each follicle produces sebum which is a natural oil meant to keep the hairs and skin moist. During puberty and other stages with an increase in hormones, the hair follicles often produce too much sebum.

As some point the excess sebum, bacteria, dead cells, and small hairs will be caught in the pore and cause blockage. This causes a pimple.

For those who only get the occasional pimple, it isn’t difficult to manage. For others, acne affects many more parts of their life besides just their skin.

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