Why do I have Acne?

Posted by John

April 20, 2010

Many sufferers of acne would like an answer to the question “why do I have acne?”. It is understandable as acne is a condition that can run from a mild inconvenience to a severely uncomfortable skin problem that is not only physically painful but can really effect self esteem and make some people miserable for the duration of those acne years. If you are one of the more severe cases, don’t worry, as even though acne is not yet curable it is treatable so that it would be like acne isn’t there as long as you maintain your treatment regimen.

So, why do we get acne? Well, nearly all forms of acne are caused by hormonal changes (if you would like to know why these hormone changes lead to acne please visit our Causes of Acne post which will explain the progression of acne from changes in hormones to the development of severe symptoms, giving you an understanding of acne which will help you to find the best treatment)

As acne is caused by changes in hormone levels breakouts can occur:

Teenage acne . This is the most common time when acne occurs. Over 80% of teenagers aged between 13 and 17 will experience acne at some point and this is from the hormone changes that occur when the body goes through puberty.

Pregnancy Acne There are a number of hormone changes during pregnancy and some woman find that this can lead to acne. This is a difficult time to treat acne so for more detailed information you can read Rachel Goodworth’s post on Pregnancy Acne and her experience on it.

Menstrual Acne. Some woman can find that the hormone changes at stages of their menstrual cycle can cause temporary outbreaks of acne.

Birth Control Pills Acne. Some oral contraceptives can bring on hormone changes that lead to acne. However, there are some that work in the opposite way and can actually be used to treat acne so it is always worth speaking to you doctor if you are finding that a contraceptive is bringing on acne

Adult acne. This is a condition that is slightly more obscure as it is often difficult to identify where hormone changes occurred. However, it is not uncommon with 1% of male adults experiencing it and 5% of adult females. There are some theories but we will not speculate in this post.

These are the main occurrences of acne and there are more when hormone changes occur. If you would like to know about the technical causes of acne, by that we mean what is happening in the skin when acne symptoms occur, please go to our causes of acne post.

For more information on being sure if your symptoms are in fact acne you can visit our Do I have Acne? page at the top. If you are looking for a treatment we would recommend finding out the severity of your acne in the Types of Acne page as that will help you get the Best Acne Treatment

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