What Causes Acne and What Makes it Go Away?

White heads, black heads, zits, pimples, call them what you will but they are all the same unsightly thing; acne. From the teen years on it seems no one is immune to these unsightly blemishes from time to time. There are also those that have the unfortunate experience of severe acne. What is it exactly that causes acne and what makes it go away?

Contrary to popular belief, acne is not caused by being dirty or eating chocolate. Acne develops as a result of follicles that are blocked. When the "pimple" forms you are actually seeing the enlargement of the sebaceous gland. If the enlargement forms an open "comedo" it is referred to as a black head. If the comedo is closed it is referred to as a white head (source: wikipedia.org).

While it is not known why some people get acne than others there are a few contributing factors that are known to be linked to the cause of acne:

• Family history

• Hormonal activity

• Inflammation of the skin

• Accumulation of dead skin cells that block pores

• Bacteria in the pores

• Amount of toxicity in the body

While other factors can cause acne to occur, these are the main factors that are widely agreed upon in the medical community (source: wikipedia.org).

There are many remedies including home, over the counter and even prescription that are available to help combat acne. The question is, which ones work? For every good acne medication out there, there are three or four that won't work. These are usually developed by companies looking to make a quick buck on the desperateness of others.

Some remedies that have been known to work include:

• Topical bactericidal: This is otherwise known as Benzoyl Peroxide and is found in a wide variety of over the counter acne creams, gels and bars of soap.

• Topical antibiotics: Used on more extreme cases of acne and usually only available with a prescription.

• Oral antibiotics: Like its topical counterpart it is used for extreme cases and usually available only with a prescription.

• Hormonal treatment

• Topical retinoid: By prescription only, usually causes an initial flare-up of acne before it starts to work.

• Oral retinoid: Also prescription only.

Others prefer to use home remedies and have had varying success. Some elements used for home remedies include: zinc, aloe vera, tea tree oil and Azelaic acid (source: wikipedia.org).

Yes acne can strike you at any time and in any situation. It usually seems to hit you when you least expect it, or want it. But there are remedies that are readily available on the market today so if you get the occasional zit from time to time fear not, you can find help. For more information about what solutions are right for your specific case of acne, consult your Dermatologist.