Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory disease of the skin, caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland).
Acne lesions are commonly referred to as pimples, spots or zits.
In their teens, both young men and young women have more male hormone (testosterone) in their blood.
This hormone makes the sebaceous glands at the bottom of the hairs on your face, back or neck churn out too much oil (called sebum), which then gets clogged in the pores.
Nasty Bacteria can grow in the trapped oil in the glands and break it down into substances called free fatty acids that irritate your skin.
This gives you whiteheads, blackheads, red bumps, yellow pus-filled spots or deep cysts leading to acne.
Acne is very common in teenagers and often is hereditary in some families.
Some people are more sensitive to testosterone and in turn seem to have a tendency to have acne.
If you are suffering with acne, there are certain things that can make it worse.
For a female, menstruation will often see your acne flare up.
also, certain contraceptive pills will aggravate acne.
Stress and worry can make it worse along with certain medications.
Hot humid weather and oily makeup will certainly make it worse stress.
There are loads of products available for the treatment of facial acne, some work and some don't.
There are a number of less frequently used treatments for acne which can make a major difference by working on the less widely known causes of acne breakouts.
Taken together with a more conventional treatment or on their own, these treatments can make a world of difference.
Tea Tree oil is one of the most popular essential oils on the market.
Its effects have been compared to those of benzoyl peroxide - one of the major pharmaceutical acne treatments.
It takes a little longer to work than benzoyl peroxide, but has less harsh effects on the skin, and is even used in some moisturizers.
Detoxing your body can also have an effect that is best described as "clean inside and out".
Much of what causes acne is due to impurities and toxins within the body.
Flushing these toxins out of the body allows you to treat acne from a position of strength, by denying it the conditions in which it likes to thrive.
If followed by a course of vitamin and mineral supplements it can have a very strong effect on the acne vulgaris bacteria.