Acne happens due to congested pores, or appears as whiteheads and blackheads, pimples or pustules or even cysts (deep pimples).

Blemishes can appear anywhere on the skin where there are sebaceous glands (oil glands). The most common places for breakout is the face, chest and back.

Treatment is available through a dermatologist, purchased in stores or online. A physician should be consulted if the acne is bothersome or severe.

Acne is caused when hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce oil. Male hormones from the adrenal glands of boys and girls stimulate the oil.

Oil has a purpose and that is to lubricate the skin and also to protect the skin. The oil can cause bacteria to multiply and surround tissue, which then becomes inflamed.

The inflammation near the surface forms a pustule. Oil that breaks through to the surface and becomes oxidized changes to a blackhead. A whitehead is caused by oil that has not been oxidized.

Factors that are usually blamed for acne unfairly and that normally do not cause acne (at least by themselves) are heredity, food, dirt, stress, hormones, and also cosmetics.

Heredity is not a cause for acne because all people at one time or another experience acne to some extent. Your acne may not appear in the same intensity as your parent’s acne did.

Food gets blamed for acne all the time especially pizza, chocolate and greasy foods such as french fries. The truth is that these foods although they may not be good if you eat them all the time do not necessary cause acne.

Dirt and oily skin are two different things. Neither does sweat cause acne. Excessive washing of skin can dry it out and irritate the skin.

Stress does not cause pimples. People do however becomes stressed out when they get pimples. Sometimes when they stress out over the appearance of pimples, they pick at the pimples which only makes them lasts longer as they then have to heal.

Women tend to break out during their menstrual cycle but the hormones do not actually cause the acne, clogged pores and excessive oil can.

Cosmetics and other skin care products do not clog pores which some people used to think caused acne. However makeup and skin care products that are “water-based” or “oil-free” are generally better for your skin.

What does cause acne?

Things that can contribute to acne besides excessive oil are:

• Pressure from helmets, chinstraps, and also collars that can aggravate acne.

• Certain medications can worsen acne such as iodides, bromides and also oral or injected steroids.

• There are also some occupations that can aggravate the skin due to industrial chemicals in the air or exposure to oils.

There are two skin conditions that can mimic acne, rosacea, and pseudofolliculitis.

Rosacea is a condition that affects individuals usually in their 30′s and 40′s. There are no whiteheads or blackheads with rosacea. Rosacea appears in the middle of the face and is usually accompanied by redness, flushing of the skin and superficial blood vessels becoming more noticeable.

Pseudofolliculitis is also called “razor bumps” or “razor rash”. The razor cutting too close to the skin causes it and curly neck hairs bend under the skin and this produces pimples.

This is not caused by acne but by a mechanical means (the razor), so it is not acne.

To avoid pseudofolliculitis, do not shave as close, shave less often, or grow a beard. You can also use laser hair removal to remove the hair without the razor burn.

Although it is more common to the teen, acne can actually show up at any age. Some people erroneously believe that only teenagers get acne, this just isn’t true.

There is “newborn acne”, the acne of pregnancy, and those in their 30′s and 40′s can get special acne that makes their face look flushed. The truth is that individuals of all ages can get acne from newborns to older adults who can get the occasional acne.

Although acne is not a life threatening condition it can cause serious consequences for the teen prone to being self-conscience about their appearance and can lead to depression, something that can be serious.

Individuals also erroneously think that treating a pimple with spot preparations will heal the pimple faster. The truth is that it takes several weeks for a pimple to form and it does not go away that fast.

Although makeup cannot cause acne, using makeup with a oil base can lead to excessive oil on the face which can lead to acne. Individuals can use makeup to conceal acne, they just need to use oil-free or water-based makeup.

Something else about acne that individuals tend to believe is that acne is caused by dirt and that blackheads are dirt. It is not true that dirt is involved in the process of developing acne.

In fact if you wash your face too often or scrub your face too hard you can actually dry out your face and aggravate acne. So, just the opposite of what most people believe regarding washing the face is true, those who are over zealous about keeping their face clean can actually cause what they are trying to avoid – acne!

Understanding the truth about what causes acne can help individuals to deal with acne in a manner that will allow them to eat foods that are healthy, get plenty of sleep, do activities that they enjoy without threat of looking as if you should feel guilty about eating pizza, chocolate or French fries.

Knowing the truth will help you to remember to eat proper diets, get exercise; wear makeup instead of being fearful of it, and eating the foods that you enjoy the most.

Knowledge is power and reading about the facts about acne and the real truth concerning how you get acne can help others to have clear skin. Acne has many causes none of which is the food we eat, though it is important to have a well – balanced diet.

So basically acne is not just for teens, is not caused by dirt directly, you cannot get acne from eating greasy foods and you should do as your mom asks, and wash your face twice a day to remove excess oil that CAN cause your next breakout.

Acne cannot vanish quickly just because a spot preparation is used directly on the pimple. Acne takes a while to form and teens need to be patient with the healing process.

Makeup does NOT cause acne though it is really good at concealing it as long as you use oil-free or water based makeup and remember to remove it before you go to sleep at night.

There you have all of the true facts about acne summarized for you in an easy to remember format, use in good health and keep that skin clear.

You may have heard the saying “you are what you eat.” Science has long debated whether or not the foods you eat correlates into the amount of acne that your suffer from.

Previously, there appeared to be no connection, but newer studies are starting to show an association between the two.

If you are constantly suffering from acne, and traditional methods are not working to get rid of it, it may be time to take a look at what you are eating.

Sometimes, a few simple diet changes can not only make you a healthier person overall, but can have dramatic effects on how your skin looks – even if you have been suffering from acne for years!

Not all dermatologists will tell you that your diet can affect how you look – especially since research done decades ago used to state that there was not a connection. But if what you eat can improve your digestive system, heart, or brain function, does it not make sense that it can improve your acne as well?

Some of the foods that you eat will cause acne, while other types of food that you eat can help you fight it. So obviously, if you are suffering from acne, it would make sense to eat more of the foods that help combat it and avoid the foods that cause it as often as you can.

Of all the foods that you eat, vegetable oil is the worst offender when it comes to acne. This is because it causes a shift in your hormones, upping your skin’s oil production, which in turn clogs pores and turns into acne breakouts.

Eating a greasy, fatty meal can cause an acne breakout to occur out of nowhere and turn into the painful pimples and cysts that you are trying so hard to avoid.

If you start to read labels on the foods that you eat on a daily basis, you may be surprised at the amount of vegetable oil that you are eating. Finding ways to reduce or eliminate it can help you with your acne problems.

Some foods are worse than others when it comes to the amount of vegetable oil that they contain. Cooking oils are mostly pure vegetable oil, so you should avoid them as much as possible.

Instead of deep frying foods, try baking, or stir frying with only a minimal amount of oil in the pan. Cooking this way will also cause your meals to be healthier overall and lower in fat content.

Junk foods are primary offenders as well. Avoid chips and greasy snacks if you can, choosing fresh fruits and vegetables instead. If you are having a hard time putting the snack food down entirely, try healthier options like plain popcorn or baked chips, as these often contain lower amounts of vegetable oil.

Watch your sauces and condiments. Here you may have to read labels carefully to decide which one is a better choice.

For example, in general a marinara sauce will have less oil in it than an Alfredo sauce. However, different brands will have varying amounts. You can try making your own sauces from home, or choosing ones that are lower in fat and oils.