Contrary to what you may have heard, acne is not caused by dirty skin, eating chocolate, or drinking lots of soda. Acne is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin and an accumulation of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria, which leads to inflammation in pores. Oil glands become stimulated when hormones become active during puberty, which is why people are likely to get acne in their teens. Because the tendency to develop acne is partly genetic, if other people in your family had (or have) acne, you may be more likely to develop it too.
Although there is no surefire way to prevent acne, there are several ways to help reduce the number and severity of your breakouts:
- Washing your skin is essential (it helps remove excess surface oils and dead skin cells that can clog your pores), but washing too much can actually cause damage by overdrying your skin or irritating existing acne.
- Remember to wash after exercising because sweat can clog your pores and make your acne worse. If you work around greasy food or oil or if you've been sweating from heat or because you've been working hard, wash your face and other acne-prone areas as soon as possible.
- If you use skin products, such as lotions or makeup, look for ones that are noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic, which means that they don't clog pores.
- If you can't live without your hair spray or styling gel, be sure to keep them away from your face as much as possible. Many hair products contain oils that can make acne worse.
- If you get acne on areas such as your chest or back, avoid wearing tight clothes, which can rub and cause irritation.
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