Here’s a good question to ask: What causes pimples? Unfortunately science has yet to give us a concrete answer as far as what causes acne, but we have a very good idea of how they form.
It all starts with the sebaceous glands, which secretes oil that forms pimples. The size of the glands vary from each person.
When you hear someone talking about having “large pores,” this is what they’re referring to. The fact that the sebaceous glands enlarge around the time of puberty may explain why teens have the biggest problem with pimples.
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.)
Pimples are caused when oil or dirt gets itself trapped in the glands or follicles. This oil could be sebum from your sebaceous glands, but it could also be dirt and oil from your hands (which is why you shouldn’t touch your face). It could also come from makeup, soap, and even oil you pick up from cooking.
Testosterone is another hormone that triggers acne; don’t just think it’s a guy-thing, because both men and women have this hormone. It can cause excessive sebum production. Dead skin cells can also be the culprit when they haven’t been sloughed off; they can clog up your hair follicles, thus helping create acne.
When you have oil built up in the hair follicles, this creates a special type of acne known as whiteheads and blackheads. You can also get those red acne spots from a bacteria called Propionibacterium when it starts growing on your hair follicles. You don’t want to pick this pimple, since that will just spread the nasty bacteria and cause more problems.
Acne can also get under your skin; this is inflammatory acne. These cysts never make it to the surface of your skin, but they can still spread and create scars.
So, what it comes down to is that no one thing is the cause of acne. Although there are a lot of factors as to what causes pimples, it usually comes down to hormones and genetic factors.
You don’t have to suffer with acne, though. Knowing what triggers acne can help you explore ways to care for your skin and keep the problem under control.