What Cause Acne?

The pores of your skin contain sebaceous glands that release oil called sebum. Acne occurs when your pores become 'clogged' with sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria. A whitehead may appear when the clogged pore closes and then bulges out. If the pore remains open then the top may darken resulting in a blackhead.

The walls of a pore can become damaged which allows bacteria and dead skin cells to work their way under live skin cells, this causes a small infection with redness and pimples. If the clogged pore is deep within the skin then the infection may become worse and eventually result in a cyst.

Most people experience acne during adolescence when the hormone testosterone increases the amount a sebum production. However, it is not uncommon for some one to suffer from acne well into adulthood even if they had 'perfect' skin as a teenager.