Friday, January 7, 2011

What Causes Acne?

Acne is a disorder that is caused by the sebaceous gland of the skin. This gland is more commonly known as the hair follicle. The skin is covered with these tiny openings. The only exceptions to this are the bottom of the feet, the palms of the hand, the top of the feet, and the lower part of the lips. The chest, upper part of the neck, and the face are the parts of the body with the most sebaceous glands on them. This is what causes acne to be more common in these areas.

Sebum is secreted by the sebaceous glands. This substance is what is responsible for the hair and skin staying soft and moisturized. When an individual is in the teens or pubescent years, these glands are larger than normal and the amount of sebum produced is being controlled by the large amounts of hormones in the body. Once the individual makes it to around twenty years of age, the amount of secretion will begin to go down as the hormone levels regulate themselves.
There is a bacterial substance on the skin that is medically known as Propionibacterium acnes. This is what causes acne to arise on the skin. This bacteria grows and thrives on the sebum. During the years of puberty, the propionibacterium acnes bacteria are at its highest level because the sebum level is also high. Individuals who have acne have an overgrowth of the bacteria in the sebaceous glands than those who do not suffer from acne.
When the bacteria are present, the white blood cells are also present in the gland. The white blood cells are damaging to the follicle wall and this brings the sebum and bacteria into the dermis layer of the skin. The bacteria can also activate the fatty acids in the body and cause further irritation to the gland. The gland swells from this activity and what causes acne to appear.
Normal glands will produce sebum that will join with exfoliating cells of the skin and this will make the gland full. The gland will then let these ingredients out causing the face to feel oily. If nothing is in the way to hinder this process, the skin stays in balance with the correct moisture it needs and stays strong and healthy. When the sebum and cells in the gland are not able to come out as they should, the skin gets dry in spots and the result of the clogged gland is a blackhead or whitehead. There is no known reason for this occurrence but it is what causes acne to be a problem.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Causes-Acne?&id=934499

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