Acne is a skin disorder that causes one’s face, neck, and upper torso to be afflicted with pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads. Generally, this affliction is found on teenagers, but frankly speaking, acne can afflict people of any age. Typically the disease is onset during the teenage years, but a pregnant woman or a middle-aged person can also suddenly find themselves having to manage an acne outbreak.

When most people have their first case of acne, they want to know what caused their condition. Unfortunately, this can’t be answered with one simple statement. Acne can actually arise from a number of sources. The most common culprit is the bacterium propionibacterium acnes. In order for acne to actually occur, this bacterium must be present on one’s skin. However, it is actually present on the majority of people’s skins around the world and therefore it is impossible to say that if you host propionibacterium acnes, then you will automatically have acne. There is no clear causal relationship. Bacteria are just one of the contributing factors.

Propionibacterium acnes cause an acne infection that looks red and inflamed. There are typically lots of pimples surrounded by irritated skin. Another type of acne is characterized by a profusion of whiteheads and blackheads. This acne infection is caused by hair follicles rather than bacteria. The skin of one’s face is covered with thin, fine hairs. Sometimes these hairs get trapped in their follicle before they have a chance to grow. A trapped hair will fill up its pore with sebum, the oil specifically secreted by a healthy hair follicle. Sebum keeps your hair smooth and healthy as it travels along the hair shaft, but can cause acne if trapped in your pores.

In addition to the two main causes of acne – bacteria and trapped hair follicles – research has shown that there are host of other reasons that one’s face could break out in an acne rash. One factor is hormonal imbalances. These are caused when one is going through puberty, pregnancy, menopause, or under a lot of stress. This is why acne can strike adults of any age. If one’s hormones are thrown off, they may cause the skin to secrete a different composition of oils that are harder to clear out of one’s pores.

Another secondary cause of acne is generally oily skin. Some people are born with naturally oily skin and will need to use specialized topical cleansers for their entire life to control their oils. Other people bring more oil into their system through an oily diet. A diet high in oil and low in water can eventually lead to oilier sweat that can clog pores and trap hair follicles. Oil can also come on one’s skin through the environment; those who work in food service are more prone to acne.

Whether one’s acne is caused by bacteria or follicle obstruction, it is entirely possible to treat the condition by keeping one’s face clean and altering the type of food and water he consumes.