Why some people get acne

Normal hormone changes at puberty. No one knows why some people?s skin secretes more sebum (grease) than others. The sebum-producing glands become particularly active soon after puberty, around the age of 11–14 years, and this is when acne usually starts.

Heredity. Acne tends to run in families. If your parent, brother or sister was (or is) an acne sufferer, you are 3–4 times more likely than average to have it yourself. Studies of twins have shown that acne is 80% genetic; everything else is relatively unimportant (British Medical Journal 2006;333:949–53).

Smoking. Smokers have more and worse spots than non-smokers. For example, a study found that 40% of smokers, but only 10% of non-smokers, had acne (British Journal of Dermatology 2007;157:1070–1).

Medications. Some drugs can cause acne. The best-known example is anabolic steroids taken by body-builders, but phenytoin (for epilepsy), rifampicin (for tuberculosis/TB), vitamin B12 (for anaemia) and lithium (for mood-swings) can also produce acne. Occasionally, chemicals in the workplace, such as industrial oils, are responsible.

Skin-lightening creams. These often contain strong steroids, and can cause acne as well as skin infections (GP 2006;Nov 26:48). Never use them!

Contraceptive pill. Most oral contraceptives contain both oestrogen and progesterone. Oestrogen usually improves acne, whereas progesterone can make it worse, so it is not surprising that the pill worsens acne in some people and improves it in others. There are various different types of progesterone, so check the label on your pill packet: ‘gestodene’, ‘desogestrel’, ‘norgestimate’ and the pill containing ‘drospirenone’ (Yasmin) are good choices.

Polycystic ovary syndrome. If you are a woman, and your periods have become irregular and you have noticed an increase in hairiness of your skin as well as acne, you might have polycystic ovary syndrome. This can be treated, so see your doctor if you suspect it.

Make-up. Some make-ups can make acne worse. The acne is likely to be all over the face, with lots of blackheads (GP 2006;Nov 26:48).

Environment. Chefs and sauna masseurs find that their hot, humid environment worsens acne – perhaps by causing further blockage of the pores. Similarly, acne may worsen if you move to a hot country. For this reason, the armed forces are reluctant to enlist individuals who have moderate/severe acne, in case they have to be posted to the tropics.

Written by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Edited by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Last updated: Sunday, May 8th 2011

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Comments on this article

Posted by Khalid on 16/11/2011 at 05:16

I am a teenager and i have a lot of acne into my face..i want a help from someone who can give me a solution..

Posted by Optional on 15/10/2010 at 09:03

my face is full of red spots and acne ....they just go n come at regural intervals. Wat can i do????

Posted by elona on 03/10/2010 at 09:56

Im a teenager and i have some acnes not to much but they are , the problem is that when they show-up , they doesnt move from there about 5-6 days . i dont wear make-up , i dont attakt them ..soo whats the problem

Posted by Will on 28/09/2010 at 03:56

I get spots round my cheeks and near my mouth, i've been using 'Witch' every night and some mornings and it does help a lot

Posted by jul on 24/06/2010 at 12:08

Why do we get spots on our face and back?dont get them any place else?

Posted by sarah on 03/01/2010 at 09:53

i have a few big red spots on my forehead cheeks and chin and blackheads on my nose , i have tryed freederm , clean & clear , and oxy gels but they do not work , i have also tryed 2 face scrubs and they dont work , i tryed leaning my head over the kettle when it has been boiled but it dont work , nothink works. please someone help me ! i need to get rid of them ,im scared people will take the mick out of me. i am now washing my face in the morning with clean & clear then washing my face at night with garnier skin naturals skin scrub but that dont work eaither! someone give me a solution that actualy works.

Posted by Anonymous on 28/12/2009 at 04:42

i have a few spots on my forehead chin and cheeks i dont like using lots of treament do you have any natural ways to get rid of them (i have sensitive skin) thanks

Posted by carly on 01/12/2009 at 07:52

thanks:)

Posted by Mat on 28/08/2009 at 05:03

Ok so I got told that hot water can get rid of spots or ease them.so this week I started to splash hot water on my face mornings and evenings and it works well,It eases spots like stops the redness and it makes the blackheads pop out :). Try it for a week.

Posted by Emma on 21/06/2009 at 10:39

I use Panoxyl Aquagel... it has helped me soooo much, and I highly recommend it. I went to my doctor and asked for it as my friend used to use it too and it helped her. Used once a night, i did have to wait about 2 weeks to see improvement but it does work, dont give up :D I started on strength 5 then went up to 10. The doc will be able to prescribe what level suits you :) I also found that if I put any gel on my hair and dont wash it off fully before i go to bed it makes my skin bad, as all the gel gets onto my pillows. This may not be the same with everyone but I thought it might help someone... :D Good Luck!!

Posted by dalia on 27/03/2009 at 05:50

i AM STILL HAVING ACNE IS THERE ANY HELP OR ADVICE

Posted by amir on 12/01/2009 at 10:40

This information is very usefull and im glad i found this site!jus add some more medical gels or creams wich improve acne! thankyou bye