Confused about how acne is caused?
Well, don’t worry; you are not the only one. That has been the question that mankind has posed itself ever since one of them have developed feelings of insecurity and wanted to appear more attractive to the opposite sex.
The sad fact is this: no one can exactly know what causes acne. It still remains idiopathic—another fancy word for “unknown” that is also gaining popular usage among the more sophisticated population. Well, we might as well resign ourselves to the fact that it still remains one of life’s best-kept mysteries. But that does not that we cannot prevent acne; all we have to know are the exact mechanisms behind it that is causing acne to be the way that it is.
Acne is so common by now that we do not even have to define or spell it out for you. Both males and females are affected equally, although the onset is slightly earlier in the females. This may be so because females reach the “age” of puberty at a younger age than males do. Acne becomes more marked at puberty and during adolescence. Why is that? Remember that our body also houses sebaceous glands. They are one of the many small sacculated organs in the skin. They are located throughout the body in close association with all types of body hair, but these are especially abundant in the scalp, face, anus, nose, mouth, or the external ear. Each sebaceous gland opens into the hair follicles, but some can also open onto the skin surface or in the free margin of the lips. The sebum secreted by the gland oils the hair and the surrounding skin that may have these. The oil also helps in the prevention of sweat adn it also aids in the retention of the necessary body heat. However, there are also times when the sebaceous glands in the nose and face can grow so large and lobulated that it may swell with accumulated secretion.
The sebaceous glands increase its activity during adolescence because those are the times that it functions most and is at its peak activity. With that in mind, experts theorize that acne appears to stem from interplay of several genetic, hormonal, or bacterial factors. Those three may even combine to cause the host a really severe form of acne called acne vulgaris.
During childhood, the sebaceous glands are virtually small and non-functioning, at best. These glands are under endocrine control, especially by the hormones called androgen. During puberty, androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands, causing them to enlarge and secrete sebum. Sebum, in turn, rises to the top of the hair follicle and can flow out onto the surface of the skin. In adolescents who develop acne, androgenic stimulation produces a heightened response in the sebaceous glands so that acne occurs when accumulated sebum plugs the pilosebaceous ducts. The accumulated material in the pilosebaceous ducts can then cause the skin to form comedones, or what we know as either the blackhead or the whiteheads.
Now that you know how acne is caused, that may give you an insight on how to avoid acne or you can manage it more properly. Good luck!
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