What are the exact causes of acne - The starting phases of acne formation

Acne is what occurs on the skin due to influences of bacteria, hormones and inflammations that result at the oil pore, also known as the pilosebaceous follicle..

During this stage, the sebaceous glands produce larger than usual amounts of oil. This oil is usually poorer in its contents, and results in the clogging up of the pores. This results in blackheads forming on the surface of the skin.

The bacteria that causes acne thus starts to reproduced in the oil that remains in the pores. The excess oil serves as food for these bacteria, that excrete more chemicals. These chemicals draw white blood cells, leading to further inflammation. The visible results of this inflammation on the skin are pimples and pastules, or what we refer to as acne.

As the hair follicles that have suffered inflammation develop, this leads to inflammation of the surrounding skin, leading to the formation of even larger lumps, thus resulting in cystic acne.

This inflammation causes the death of the cells that produce collagen, a hormone essential for the growth of skin. The reduced production of collagen causes the skin to become thinner in that area, thus resulting in the appearance of scarred skin and depressions.

What are the causes of worsened acne?

Acne is caused by both hormonal factors, bacteria and the resulting inflammation of the skin in the area. These factors combine to form the visible appearance of acne scars and pock-marked skin.

Blockage of the skin pores may also worsen acne. Some causes of this blockage are non-natural products like makeup, chemicals like hairsprays and oils(for example from cooking). Certain clothing such as sports gear, headwear may also prevent proper air ventilation and thus worsen the blockage in the covered areas.

Medicine that affects your body's hormonal cycle may also worsen your acne by ramping up the production of oil in the sebaceous glands and causing further blockage.

Certain habits like the squeezing of pimples or scratching of the affected areas may cause further acne in the surrounding regions, as the acne bacteria is spread to the surrounding areas of the skin. Prolonged scratching may also cause further damage to the inflamed area and cause the oil to spread deeper into the surrounding regions, causing even further inflammation.