What Causes Teenage AcnePosted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010 During the early teen years, boys and girls are at greater risk for acne breakouts, when the oil glands in the body start over-producing sebum (skin oil that can resemble grease). Adding to the problem, your body sheds dead skin cells constantly ? and some people have "sticky" skin cells that don?t shed normally ? they just remain attached to the skin. In people who have acne, these excess skin cells mixes with the oil and plug up the hair follicles. The Common Myths Quite a few myths are floating around out there about what causes acne. Let?s straighten some out right now. - Dirt does not cause acne Who Gets More Acne? While both boys and girls can get acne ? it?s more likely to be worse in boys because their bodies produce more skin oils. Strangely enough, your immune system can come into play as well ? making you extra sensitive to the bacteria that get trapped in the hair follicles. What Makes Acne Worse? - If you use makeup, suntan products or hair products that contain oil ? they can add to the pore-plugging problem. While keeping your skin clean is an important part of treatment, remember to be gentle ? no hard scrubbing, no picking or squeezing. You can survive acne. Like it? Share it!More by this author |