Acne develops when the pores on your skin get clogged. The type of acne it produces depends on what clogs those pores. It can be blocked by oil, bacteria, dead skin cells, and dirt. Why does acne develop during the teenage years? One of the biggest reasons is the change in hormones. A certain hormone called androgens increases during adolescence which increases the size of the oil glands. This results in the production of more oil which will clog the pores.
The oil glands are called sebaceous glands and they are present right under the surface of the skin with the hair follicles. These glands secrete oil to keep the skin from drying out. But in the case of acne, it produces too much oil which clogs the pore along with the hair follicle which results in acne. Oil glands get active once puberty starts, which is why teenagers get acne.
But acne can be particularly frustrating for adults. Some adults continue to get acne from their teen years and others might develop acne well into their 40s. This is known as “adult-onset acne”. One of the most common causes of adult acne is hormonal imbalance. It is more common in women. Women experience fluctuating hormones during periods, pregnancy, birth pills, and menopause. Other contributing factors that can cause acne would be stress, genetics, hair and skin care products a person uses, or side effects of medications.
There are several myths about acne. It is one of the most common skin conditions and the most poorly understood problem. Some of the common myths include:
- Poor diet causes acne:
Eating a healthy balanced meal is important for a person’s health but there has been no research that backs poor diet causing acne.
- Poor hygiene and dirty skin:
The biological mechanisms that trigger acne always happen beneath the skin not on the surface therefore, hygiene has nothing to do with triggering acne. Keeping it clean has nothing to do with acne washing your face often might exacerbate the condition.
- Squeezing your acne is the best way to get rid of it:
No. It will make the acne worse and you will also end up with acne scars. Therefore, never squeeze your acne.
There are different types of acne- whiteheads and blackheads are known as comedones and are the most common type. Then there is inflammatory acne known as papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts. These conditions will most likely leave scars on your skin.