Most people have already felt the experience of having acne on their faces, some even have had acne on their necks, shoulders, chest and back. Acne is a problem for more than 80% of adolescents or teenagers, but it usually clears up completely or at least a little bit by the time they hit their twenties or thirties. In some rare cases, acne continues and leads to a skin disease, which can be an even bigger problem if not treated right away.
The root causes of why some people get acne and why some do not is not yet fully known. Although it is known to be partly hereditary, acne can be linked to family or genetic history. Some people develop Acne simply because it runs in the family. Acne has no favorites, A mother could have it and the daughter may not get it, but her son may. Likewise a father may have it but only the daughter may get it. Usually if one person in the family has it then the school age children will get it. A family with an history of acne can be associated with an earlier occurrence of acne and an increases number of retentional acne lesions.
Hormonal activity, such as puberty greatly increases the chance of an acne outbreak. During puberty (or teenage years), the hormones start to change as a child gets older. In boys the male sex hormones called androgens causes the follicular glands to get larger and make more sebum. The monthly menstrual cycle for a woman will create a rise in the levels of estrogens together with the production of sebum. People who are extremely stressed also have increased hormone secretion from the adrenal glands.
A persons diet has been proven to be a specific cause of acne. The consumption of things such as instant breakfast drinks, cream cheese, sherbert, skimmed milk and cottage cheese will increase the risk of acne. It has long been thought that chocolate was a main cause of acne but this is not supported by scientific studies. The high glycemic nature of certain foods containing simple carbohydrates is the cause of acne in foods, chocolate has a low glycemic index.
Acne is a skin condition that is brought on by the clogging of the pores because of the excess production of sebum. Pores are over our entire body except the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet, therefore we can get acne practically anywhere on our body although a person usually gets it on their face. Acne is hereditary in some people but it usually comes around the time of teenage puberty but if an adult gets acne, it may be because of their diet or certain types of food that they eat. Other things can greatly increase the chance of acne such as bacteria in the pores, accumulation of dead skin cells and the use of medication such as the type which contains halogens, lithium or barbiturates. Acne is something no one wants to experience but almost every adult have.