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ACNE

Acne most commonly begins to appear when a child reaches adolescence or teenage years, however it can occur at any age. Excesses in hormones can cause the sebaceous, or oil, glands to enlarge. Enlarged sebaceous glands allow a built up of bacteria, dead skin cells, and dirt, which the clog pores. This bacteria within the pore can cause infect and inflame the follicle, resulting in the red pustules commonly referred to as a "zit" or "pimple".

The blocked pore is called a "comedone". The common name for a comedone is "zit", pimple", "whitehead", or "blackhead". If the inflammation is deep within the tissue it may form what is called a cyst. Cysts can be very painful and are the main cause of much of the scaring that occurs with acne patients.

One of the most common misconceptions about acne is that chocolate causes "breakouts", it doesn't. However acne can be caused by:

• Hormonal changes caused by adolescence. Becoming a teenager is when acne is most common, however acne is in no way limited to teenagers and it can occur at any age.
• Hormonal changes for females, i.e.: monthly cycles, birth control pills, pregnancy.
• Medications- some medications are known to increase risk of acne the package insert should lists the side effects
• Stress
• Cosmetics can make acne worse. Trying to cover up breakouts can actually spread the bacteria and cause more breakouts.
• Hair products are not meant for the skin and they can clog the pores.