Everyone gets blemish every so often. But for some, acne is a way of life. Some dermatologists consider acne a disease which occurs in virtually anyone at almost any stage of his or her life. Other dermatologists think that acne is genetic. Moreover, they believe that acne not only is a dominant gene but also it is genetically predisposed. Hormones can also affect onset of acne.

There are also a lot of myth causes of acne; poor hygiene causes acne, relation between masturbation and acne, first shave causes acne, even chocolate and oily foods cause acne. Acne not only disfigures the face and body, but can also have profound permanent scars on one's self-steem which are hard to get rid of. That's why it is so important not to squeeze acne.

Treating acne is not easy if you don't really understand what acne is and how the skin works. But once you know it,everything gets easier.

Nowadays, there are a lot of products on market; acne cream, acne scrubs and masks. Traditional ways to cure acnes by using over the counter acne treatments are still also in fashion.

However, the majority of us still prefer to use alternative ways to cure acne. We make home-made masks, gentle scrubs, and toners. We take some vital vitamins try to eat more vegetables and fruits, and do our exercise. It is much more work then just to buy a jar of cream and hope for solution, but it is worth it! Not that a jar of cream doesn't work, it might, but unfortunately it's not that simple for most of us who suffer from acne.

To fight with acne you have to face the facts and learn how to treat them right.
Skin Anatomy.In order to understand what acne is we must learn a simple anatomy of the skin. The surface of the skin, called the stratum corneum is made up of dead, protein-rich cells (keratin), acts as a protective barrier for underlying cells. The second layer of living cells is spiny layer. As we continue moving down through the epidermis, we come to basal cells. This layer is constantly dividing and migrating toward the skin's surface and are precursors to all the layers we have just described. Basal cells grow, divide and move toward the surface of the skin they mature, eventually becoming the dead layer known as the stratum corneum. This maturation process of basal cells into the stratum corneum is called keratinization. To understand the physical changes that cause acne, it's important to understand the microscopic process that produce it. Many of us think of a follicle as a small hair, however the follicle could either contain a hair or it could be empty (as we see pores). Imagine the follicle as a tube, extending from the surface of the skin down into the dermis, or the skin layer beneath the epidermis. Dermis, deeper layer of skin, is made up of collagen and elastin, which support the surface of the skin and provide a home for blood vessels, nerves and other cells. Beneath the dermis is a layer of fat that cushions and insulates the skin and contributes to the rounded look of a youthful face. The follicle originates from the dermis as a tube. From this tube branch glands that resemble little clusters of grapes. These are the sebaceous (or oil) glands that produce an oily substance (sebum). The sebum flows to the top of the tube (follicle), eventually to be secreted onto the skin's surface.

Cause of acne lesion.

Now, let's look at what actually cause of acne lesion (pimple). It's called retention hyperkeratosis. As we already discussed, the surface of the skin (stratum corneum), the dead cells of stratum corneum, which contain a large amount of the protein keratin, are supposed to fall of the skin in natural process called exfoliation. This stratum corneum also lines the inside of the follicle. Scientists believe that if the inside of the follicle doesn't exfoliate properly, the keratin mixes with sebum, making it viscous and sticky, clogging the follicle. Withing a short time a bacterium, Propionibacterium acnes, begins to multiply rapidly, creating further inflammation within the follicle and surrounding skin.

Whitehead and blackhead acnes.

The dermatological term for this plug is comedo (plural comedones). When the comedo is initially formed beneath the epidermis, it is too small to be seen with the naked eye, it called a microcomedo. The microcomedo ultimately evolved into a closed comedo, also known as a “whitehead”. The other so-called noninflamed lesion is the open comedo, or “blackhead”. Attention: blackheads are not caused by dirt! And the black color is not just simply dirt, like some people think. In this case the oil and still open follicle have been oxidized by the air, turning it brown or black. The blackhead also contains a pigment called melanin. If this lesion is able to drain to the surface it will be resolved, what usually is not happening. And that's how inflammation moves from the invisible, molecular level, to the visible, cellular level.
  
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