Causes of Acne

Know that popular girl or guy in high school with perfect skin? They went through puberty and ate junk food just like everyone else. But how come he or she never got acne, not even one pimple?

Research at DS Laboratories has shown that acne only occurs in individuals with a pore structure that does not allows easy flow of sebum to the surface of the skin. Therefore having oily skin does not necessarily cause acne as long as the pore (follicular duct) does not become blocked. The tendency of the follicular duct to become blocked has nothing to do with diet, stress, or hygiene. Our pore structure is something that we are born with. Some people have pores that permit the unobstructed flow of sebum and these individuals will never get acne even during puberty. However, people with oily skin and pores that have a tendency to trap oil will have a more severe acne condition. Therefore, only if the pore structure has tendency to become blocked (we are born with this condition) will the skin form acne. Also, if the pores can become blocked but the sebaceous glands produce very little oil then this person is not likely to develop acne. The sebaceous glands lie just beneath the skin's surface. Generally at puberty, increased levels of androgens (male hormones) cause the glands to produce too much sebum. When excess sebum combines with dead skin cells, a comedo forms that blocks the pore. Mild non-inflammatory acne consists of whiteheads and blackheads. Moderate and severe inflammatory types of acne result after the blocked follicular duct is invaded by Propionibacterium acnes bacteria which everyone has on their skin. Inflamed pimples near the skin's surface are called papules; deeper lesions are called pustules.