Acne is a skin problem that causes inflammation. Our skin has oil glands that are connected to hair follicles. These follicles have tiny hairs. In healthy skin, the oil glands make a substance called sebum, which comes out onto the skin through an opening in the follicle called a pore.
There are also skin cells called keratinocytes that line the follicle. Normally, as our body sheds skin cells, these keratinocytes move up to the skin’s surface.
When a person has acne, the hair, sebum, and keratinocytes get stuck together inside the pore. This blockage stops the keratinocytes from shedding and prevents the sebum from reaching the skin’s surface.
This trapped mixture of oil and cells creates an environment where bacteria that usually live on the skin can grow inside the blocked follicle. This growth of bacteria causes inflammation, which leads to swelling, redness, heat, and pain.
If the wall of the blocked follicle breaks down, it spills bacteria, skin cells, and sebum into the surrounding skin, creating lesions or pimples.
Doctors and researchers think that several things can cause acne. These include:
- High production of oil in the pores: This can happen if the oil glands produce too much sebum.
- Buildup of dead skin cells: These cells can clog the pores if they do not shed properly.
- Growth of bacteria in the pores: Bacteria can multiply in the clogged pores and cause inflammation.
There are also certain factors that can increase the risk of developing acne:
- Hormones: An increase in male sex hormones called androgens can lead to acne. These hormones increase in both boys and girls during puberty, causing the oil glands to grow and produce more sebum. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can also cause acne.
- Family history: If your parents had acne, you are more likely to get it too.
- Medications: Some medicines, like those containing hormones, corticosteroids, and lithium, can cause acne.
- Age: While people of all ages can get acne, it is most common in teenagers.
Understanding these causes and risk factors can help in managing and treating acne more effectively.