At first glance, some would believe that acne is a typical virus that affects people. Without a close look or knowledge about its true causes, many have led themselves to believe that acne is similar to a pox virus. In that way, they believe that it is caught like any other contagious condition. That it doesn't appear in adults serves as evidence that, like a pox, people develop an early immunity to it. The truth is that it is not a virus at all. Acne is actually the result of hair follicle blockage. Whiteheads, blackheads, and other forms of pimples form as a result of that blockage and the resulting enlargement of certain glands.
Much has been done to research cures for the condition as a whole. The problem is that there is still no known root cause of acne. As it stands, science can only point to more general causes. What actually leads to acne directly is still unknown.
One cause of acne might be related to genetics. What about someone's genetics causes the acne, though, isn't actually well understood. In a way, it can be said that the way someone's body produces and responds to hormones is the genetically inherited trait, and the actual cause of acne is left as a mystery.
It has been established that acne springs directly from the increase in male sex hormones-which both genders develop. As this is most common throughout puberty, the condition is mostly seen during that time. Stress, genetics and some forms of food have been linked to acne in various ways. For the most part, these things are actually being linked to the production of hormones, and not specifically to acne.
The scarring that often results from acne is caused by a lack of collagen production. This happens as the inflammation damages collagen making cells, an occurrence that happens only in certain situations. Once this happens; there is less collagen being produced, which leads to thinner skin. The result is what appears as scars.
The truth of the matter is that no one really knows the initial causes of acne. There are theories, but nothing that has been solidly proven. That's why there are many medications available that claim to treat acne, but not that can all out prevent it from ever occurring in the first place.
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