We know that pimples are both annoying and commonplace. But what causes pimples? Scientists and researchers haven't been able to give us a definite answer yet. However, they have been able to tell us how pimples form. It all starts with the sebaceous glands, which secretes oil that forms pimples. The size of the glands vary from each person. When you hear someone talking about having "large pores," this is what they're referring to. The fact that the sebaceous glands enlarge around the time of puberty may explain why teens have the biggest problem with pimples. Everyone is secreting oil from their sebaceous glands, but some of us excrete more than others. A lot of this can be blamed on genetics (thanks a lot, mom and dad!) and hormones. Pregnancy and other hormonal changes can trigger this. Other factors include stress, environment, and possibly diet. (Chocolate has not been proven to cause zits, thank God.) What causes pimples is when oil gets trapped in glands or follicles. This may be the oil that your sebaceous glands secretes (sebum), or it could be oil and dirt from your hands, oil from make-up or soaps, or oil from cooking. (Blech!!) We can also place some blame on testosterone, a hormone you can find in both men and women; it can cause sebum to be produced in excess. And let's not forget about dead skin cells; when they don't slough off, they can work their way down into hair follicles and clog them up. The result: Acne! A build-up of oil in the hair follicles causes the types of acne known as blackheads and whiteheads. Red acne spots form when Propionibacterium (a bacteria) grows in the hair follicles. Picking at or popping this kind of pimple can spread the bacteria and create bigger problems. Inflammatory acne appears under the skinthese are cysts that may never rise to the surface, but they can spread and cause long-term scarring. So, what it comes down to is that no one thing is the cause of acne. Although there are a lot of factors as to what causes pimples, it usually comes down to hormones and genetic factors. You don't have to be an acne victim, though. There are lots of things you can do to take care of your skin and control the problem.
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