One of the primary culprits of acne is excess oil called sebum. Too much sebum can lead to your pores getting clogged. When your pores get clogged, it creates an anaerobic environment where the Propionibacteria Acnes bacteria can thrive. This causes an inflammation within the pores that creates acne.
There are also other things that increase the chance of acne. Certain makeup products can lead to clogged pores. Some medications can increase or change your hormone levels which cause a surge in oil production. Birth control pills can also change these levels. Pre-menopausal and pregnant women are subject to rapid hormone levels. It affects some women a few days before their period too.
One thing that might be surprising is that diet doesn't affect acne. Many people have incorrectly thought that eating chocolate or greasy foods is one cause of acne, but this isn't the case. Scientific studies have shown that diet is not a factor.
For some people, acne is hereditary. If you have a family history of acne, there is nothing you can do about it. You will have to treat your symptoms in order to get rid of acne. All acne treatments work by attacking the causes. They either reduce oil production, unclog pores, or fight the P. Acnes bacteria.
