Causes for Acne

article syndicated from Wikipedia
updated about 1 year ago

Exactly why some people get acne and some do not is not fully known. It is known to be partly hereditary. Several factors are known to cause acne:

Hyperactive sebaceous glands
Accumulation of dead skin cells
Bacteria in the pores
Skin irritation or scratching of any sort
Anabolic steroids
Birth control pills, however many women have reported reduced acne while on the pill
Those exposed to high levels of chlorine compounds, particularly chlorinated dioxins, often develop severe, long-lasting acne, known as Chloracne
Consumption of heat damaged foods. Proteins exposed to heat are altered in such a way that digestive enzymes are unable to break them down into constituent amino acids. These proteins are processed by lymph glands and excreeted through the skin. Due to the hydophelic nature of protein, subcutaneous water pressure is increased which closes off sebum canals, trapping bacteria. A cyst is the result.

Not causes for acne

Since the medical knowledge about acne is still relatively small, many misconceptions and rumours about what causes acne exists:

Diet. Chocolate, chips, sugar, milk and seafood among others have not been shown to affect acne.

Deficient personal hygiene. Acne is not caused by dirt. This misconception probably comes from the fact that blackheads by their nature are black and the acne infected skin, therefore, looks dirty.
Sex. Rumours have had it that both celibacy and masturbation are causes for acne. This is not the case.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Acne".