What Causes Acne?

Acne is caused by a disorder of the pilosebaceous unit made up of a hair follicle, sebaceous gland and a hair. These units are present all over the body except on the palms, soles, lower lip and at the top of the feet. The presence of these units on the body is greatest on chest, upper neck and face. Some natural processes of bodily growth or disorders of the pilosebaceous units cause acne.

Following are some of the Major Causes of Acne

• Overactive Sebaceous Glands: The substance produced by sebaceous glands is called sebum. It is responsible for keeping the skin and hair moisturised. Increased hormonal activity by androgens enlarges the sebaceous glands during adolescence. At around 20 years of age, the sebum production begins to decrease making the oil glands overactive. It leads to production of excessive oil that results in acne.
• Blocked Skin Pores: When the sebum is trapped in the hair follicle, it is obstructed. No reason has been found for this but the effect is that the sebum on its way out is trapped and the cells which normally get removed become sticky and block the follicle. There is a term for this process of follicles’ obstruction called comedogenesis. The follicles form a kind of acne called comedones, commonly known as blackheads and whiteheads.
• Bacterial Activity: When the oil is trapped inside the skin pores, some bacteria are produced which alter the composition of oil and it results in skin irritation.
• Inflammation: Propionibacterium acnes is a kind of bacteria which is normally found in the skin. It increases follicles during puberty and uses sebum as its nutrient. People having acne have more of this bacteria. White blood cells get attracted to the follicle due to the presence of this bacteria. The while blood cells damage the wall of the follicle and allow the follicle content to enter the dermis. This process of the immune system results in an inflammatory response and various forms of acne spring out on the skin.

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