Pimples sneak their way up by oils through the sebaceous gland. Each of these glands vary in size depending on the person.



When anyone talks about their "large pores," this is what they're actually referring to. It's been observed that these sebaceous glands enlarge right about the time puberty hits, which gives us a hint as to why teens have the most problems with acne.

So, everyone secretes oil from their sebaceous glands, but some of us produce more than others. This can be due to genetics (if your mom or dad had bad acne, you're more likely to as well!), hormones (watch out during pregnancy and other times of hormonal change), stress, environmental factors, and maybe even diet. (And, no, chocolate doesn't cause zits.)

When oil gets trapped in follicles or the glands, it causes pimples. What kind of oil? It could be the oil (sebum) produced by your sebaceous glands, but it could also be the oil and dirt from your hands. It could even be oil from soap, makeup, and even cooking oil. Ew.

Testosterone, a hormone present in both men and women, can trigger excess sebum production. In addition, dead skin cells that haven't sloughed off can work their way into the hair follicles and clog them, creating acne.

A build-up of oil in the hair follicles causes the types of acne known as blackheads and whiteheads. Red acne spots form when Propionibacterium (a bacteria) grows in the hair follicles. Picking at or popping this kind of pimple can spread the bacteria and create bigger problems.

Inflammatory acne appears under the skinthese are cysts that may never rise to the surface, but they can spread and cause long-term scarring.

Basically, there is no single factor that causes acne. What causes pimples are a number of factors, but most of the blame lies squarely on genetics and hormones.

You don't have to be an acne victim, though. There are lots of things you can do to take care of your skin and control the problem.