Acne: the causes?

Acne: the causes?

Acne is a disease that affects the hair follicle, at the root of our hairs. At the base of the follicle are the sebaceous glands, responsible for the production of sebum, a fat that prevents the skin from drying out.During puberty, however, this well-oiled mechanism gets jammed.

Acne in three stages

The appearance of a pimple at the follicle level is due to the concomitance of three events:

Excessive secretion of sebum inside the follicleFollicle obstruction (for a reason still unknown)Proliferation of bacteria within the follicle

During puberty, the production of male sex hormones (androgens) causes an excess of sebum in the sebaceous glands. The excess sebum goes back to the surface of the skin, which then becomes fatter; the channel, however, can become clogged and the pore is occluded: this is how the black dot or comedone appears, or a white microcyst.

Following the development of inflammation within the follicles and the infection of the latter by a bacterium, Propionibacterium acnes, causes the formation of pimples (papules, pustules and nodules).

Stress and familiarity

Stress is held up as the perpetrator of all ills, and is therefore often accused of causing the appearance of acne. It is also known that stress can affect hormone concentrations, and may therefore play a role in the onset of this skin disease. According to the latest review of available literature, its action remains controversial and there is a lack of scientifically validated studies on the subject.

Numerous studies, however, note an important number of patients of the two sexes within the same family.However, although it has been possible to suspect genetic predisposition, no scientific evidence has been provided so far.