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Acne
What causes it?
Acne is thought to be the result of several different factors occurring either separately or at the same time. Most commonly, acne develops because of excess sebum (oil) production by the sebaceous glands (oil glands) in the skin. Excess oil production is typically triggered by an increase in androgen hormones ("masculine hormones") such as testosterone or androsterone. Both males and females produce androgen hormones, and their production normally increases during adolescence to help the body mature. Increases in androgen hormone levels lead to increased sebum production, which in turn increases the likelihood for developing acne.
Along with excess sebum production, skin cells can plug a pore and allow normally-occurring bacteria to flourish. A bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes is normally found on the skin, but if it gets trapped inside hair follicles, it can trigger acne. All of these processes can result in inflammation.
Certain medications can also cause acne. Specifically, hormone medications like contraceptive agents [medroxyprogesterone injections (Depo-Provera) and older oral contraceptives--newer birth control pills such as Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Estrostep can actually improve acne], testosterone, corticosteroids [prednisone, methylprednisone, dexamethasone, prednisolone, betamethasone, cortisone, hydrocortisone, and triamcinolone], and anabolic steroids [danocrine (Danazol) and stanozolol (Stomba)] can all make acne worse. Other medications known to exacerbate acne include certain antidepressants, drugs used to treat tuberculosis, anti-seizure medications, and cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune).
Oftentimes, it is difficult for doctors to determine the exact cause of acne for a particular patient. Because of this, it may take time and multiple trials of medication to find the medication most effective for the treatment of your acne.
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What causes it?
