Acne is a condition of the skin that shows up as various types of bumps including whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts. Most teens get the type of acne called acne vulgaris, which shows up on the face, neck, shoulders, back, and chest.

The pores of your skin contain oil glands, which lubricates your hair and skin. Sometimes a pore may become 'clogged' with too much oil, dead skin cells, and even bacteria, causing acne. See below.

More Acne Basics

Before we see what Acne is we have to understand the importance of human skin. Human skin is the often taken for granted yet the organ that makes up almost one fifth of a person's weight. It is the most visible organ in the human body, but many folks don't understand the important functions it performs. People start looking out for treatments only when there are some visible problems in the skin. The efficiency of skin is more important for the best performance of the body without the help of additional substances. The skin is also one of the most sensitive parts of the body as well. It has to be because it the outer most protective layer of our body. Don't you want the skin to immediately react on touching a hot iron rod? This sense is important for the human body else this is going to lead to more serious problems. The skin provides some very important functions to our body. The main function is protection from external factors. The second is heat regulation and the other main thing we just saw earlier, the sensation. These are the main functions that everyone understands a bit but there are other main functions that are performed by the skin.

The skin acts as the storage medium for body fat and water without which the human survival is a big question mark. The next important thing is excretion which is part of the process for temperature regulation. The additional function is absorption have you wondered how Vicks Vapourub works. The absorption function has been employed to administer contraception, anti smoking patches and many more. These indicate that the skin has tiny pores that are capable of transporting substances in and out. This is where acne claims its origin. When these pores clog due to foreign particles or excessive dead skin cells the substances that would have been other wise excreted get clogged behind the particles. The substances include the oil, which is a playing field for the bacteria. These micro organisms start feeding on these oils causing more damage to the already clogged pores and which is what we see as the red spots around the acne formations. This is also triggered by the male hormones. In either case the clogged pores when left for many hours untreated becomes more damaged and ends up the unsightly painful acne. Acne is common among youngsters ranging from puberty to the early thirties. The male population is more affected by Acne than the females. There are many known causes for Acne; some of it is listed in here.

Excessive dead skin cells or other clogging agents
Over active sebaceous glands
Hormonal changes
Stress and lifestyle
Physical damage to skin like scratching
Exposure to certain chlorinated compounds
May also occur due to use of medications.

Almost everyone has been affected by Acne at one time or the other, there are many products that can help treat the various types of Acne. This website provides wonderful information about the various treatment options available for you.

What is acne?

If a pore becomes clogged, closes, and then bulges out, you have a whitehead. If a pore becomes clogged but stays open, the top may darken and you're left with a blackhead. Sometimes when the walls of the pore become damaged it allows bacteria and dead skin to work their way under the live skin. This leaves you with a red, but small infection called a pimple. Clogged pores that are open deep in the skin cause cysts which are generally infections larger than pimples. See below.

What causes acne?

An important idea to remember as you study the condition of acne is that everyone is different, therefore, what may cause acne on you, may not on someone else.

As I mentioned earlier, acne is generally caused by the build up of oil and dead skin in a pore; but what causes this build up of oil and dead skin?

Natural hormones
Hormones are constantly produced by your body throughout your entire life, however, during the teenage years they tend to be the most active and most rapidly changing.
Plugged skin
If a large number of skin cells exist on a regular basis they can close the oil glands or pores, creating blackheads or whiteheads, as discussed earlier.
Bacteria
When bacteria is present on the skin it can easily infect the oil glands and pores. Bacteria thrives on the oil and can grow rapidly beneath plugged skin creating bad infections. This can create your 'classic' pimple or cyst; cysts are deeper, worse than a pimple and more likely to cause scaring.
Family background
If a parent had acne as a teenager, he/she can bet their kids will also have sensitive skin, especially during the adolescent years. Family background can tie into the other three causes listed above. e.g. Hormones and extra skin can be a character trait passed down.

What not to do!

Now that you have gained the knowledge of the trouble that filth, oil, and extra skin can cause to you, your first initiative will probably be to go and scrub your skin with muscle and hot water. Don't do that! Excessive scrubbing just irritates the skin leading to more dead skin cells which leads to more clogged pores. In fact, straps, helmets, hats, hair, and hands can irritate the skin very easily as well. Pay attention to where you put your hands when bored in class (e.g. don't rest your head in your hands).

Remember: acne is not caused by a skin's filthy surface. The 'pore clogging' takes place below the surface of the skin.

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