Knowledge is one of the best weapons in the fight against acne; knowing what causes acne, it's easy to derive a good plan of attack. Teens are the group that is most likely to get acne. Over 85% of teens have to cope with the problem, which is really aggravating. It's at this period in their life that hormone levels increase along with androgen in both males and females.

The largest amount of acne occurs on the back, upper chest, and unfortunately on the face. This occurs because the sebaceous glands are now actively manufacturing sebum. We can't eliminate the sebum, because the body needs it for the hair follicles. Washing the excess oil off using soap and water, or alcohol eliminates the problem. Except the acne could form blackheads.

The problem gets increasingly worse when the pores close, because they have become trapped from the excess sebum. Then whiteheads can form from increasing pressure and may burst. Now the bacteria are on the outside, on your face, for instance and it gets spread around. The bacteria create pus and inflammation, which causes acne.

So, have you ever been curious how much stress can affect your acne? We can't completely get rid of stress, so it would be great to know this. The body can fight off the bacteria that cause acne effectively.But, stress does weaken the immune system which makes it harder to fight off the acne causing bacteria. It's not considered a major factor though.

I have been asked how much effect do illegal drugs have on acne. This is really one factor that you shouldn't have to consider. You need to stop using drugs. If you don't, you are going to have a lot more problems than acne. But, I'll give you the dermatologist opinion. The conclusion, anabolic steroids, barbiturates, and tetracycline can be a major contributor to acne.

Also, people have wondered about genetics. What I found out, was that genetics may play a role, but there haven't been any conclusive studies to confirm it. Actually, statistics show that acne can run in families. That may be partly due to family circumstances, not diet.

I'm often asked the following question. And, people are always surprised by my answer. How much do my eating habits affect my acne? Actually, greasy foods will not cause greasy skin. Also, some foods that you would think would have a big effect, like soft drinks, chocolate, and greasy cheeseburgers, will not impact your acne growth. If you are eating a food that increases production of sebum (oil) or a specific type of hormone that will certainly cause problems.

Sebum (oil) and hormones are the two major factors that really cause acne. All the products out there work on the principle of controlling the sebum and keeping the pores unclogged. During the teen years, there is more activity with the hormones which in turn cause the sebaceous glands to secrete more oil. When this mixes deep in the pores with bacteria and the pores become clogged, the result is acne.