If you look in the mirror at the acne on your face and ask yourself what causes the painful ugly spots to appear, you may very well be looking at the answer. Your body may actually be causing acne breakouts to appear through its normal processes. In fact, internal causes are the most common reason 85% of Americans are asking the same question you are when they look in the mirror.
Acne Bacteria
Propionibacterium acnes, also called P. acnes or acne bacteria, is believed to be one of the single most common causes of acne. This bacteria sits on the surface of your skin and settles into your pores. It then clogs up the pore causing it to become infected causing a pimple. This bacterium also gives off enzymes and other substances that causes inflammation and turns sebum into an irritant further complicating the skin problem.
Testosterone
Male androgenic hormones, testosterone, is found in both genders and can often cause acne especially when there is a hormonal imbalance in your body. This hormone increases the size of the glands in your skin that produces sebum as well as the amount of skin oil each gland produces. This puts these glands into overdrive covering the skins surface and filling your pores. This fills the pores and cuts off the oxygen allowing any acne bacteria present to multiply and irritate your skin.
Estrogenic Hormones
Unlike testosterone, estrogen levels are believed to cure acne. If you have a hormonal imbalance and your estrogen levels are low, your acne increases. That is why most women experience the increase of acne with the arrival of their menstrual cycle. This is why doctors will often prescribe birth control pills to treat acne.
Excess Sebum
Often caused by the reasons previously mentioned, excess sebum spells disaster for healthy skin. Skin sebum is a substance made of cholesterol, wax esters, squalene, and glycerides. Free fatty acids and lipases convert some of these components directly into propionibacterium acnes. Therefore, excess sebum not only clogs the pores of your skin, but it also produces the agents that irritates and infects them. Another cause of excess sebum on the skin may be heredity.
Abnormal Formation Of Hair Follicles
Sometimes, the hair follicles found underneath the skin do not form properly or become damaged and disfigured. The walls of these structures produce a substance called keratin that cannot reach the skin’s surface. This keratinization continues to occur filling the hair follicle and causes a pimple. The buildup of keratin in a hair follicle also causes acne bacteria to increase because there is no oxygen getting in to kill it.
So there you have it.
Although experts are not completely certain as to the exact cause of acne breakouts, it is these reasons that are generally considered the culprits. Excess sebum and acne bacteria may only require a facial cleaner or topical cream to be treated. Hormonal imbalances, on the other hand, will require a medication to keep everything regulated and running smoothly. Large sebaceous glands or disfigured hair follicles will require laser or other treatment that deals with the underside of the skin’s surface.