Acne is something that most of us stress over at one point or another. While there are several factors related to habit and lifestyle, it’s important to know that the biggest contributors to acne are typically out of your control.
In this article, we’ll concentrate on the five main causes of acne that you have limited control over. This isn’t to make you feel discouraged if you have acne. Rather, the main takeaway here is that there’s no point worrying about these factors, as they’re out of your control.
More importantly, if you discover that any of these are responsible for your acne, then you’ll know that the next step is to consider trying an acne treatment, since the underlying causes aren’t fixable by habits or lifestyle alone. This is good news because it means that you’ll be one step closer to achieving clearer skin! 😀
Table of Contents
5 Main Causes of Acne (That You Can’t Do Anything About)
For a quick overview, let’s take a look at the five main causes of acne that are out of your control:
- Oily skin
- Puberty
- Hormone levels
- Genetics
- Weather
As you’ll learn about later in this article, many of these causes are interconnected. More likely than not, it’s probably several of these factors working together that’s causing you to have breakouts.
1. Oily Skin
Do you have oily skin? If you answered yes, then you’re more likely to get acne. Oily skin is more acne-prone than dry skin because the excess oil can lead to clogged pores. When that oil traps in dead skin, dirt, sweat, and bacteria, acne forms.
Before we go further, take a look at this short video (2:10) as an overview and visual on how acne forms:
Important Information: You’ve probably heard that washing your face frequently will make acne go away, but this is very, very wrong! Over-washing strips the face of necessary oils and hydration that are necessary for your skin to look and feel its best.
To learn how to properly hydrate and moisturize your skin, take a look at my article “Skincare 101: What’s the Difference Between Hydration and Moisture?
” There, you’ll learn which products you should and shouldn’t use for your particular skin type so you can get the best results!
2. Puberty
Acne is commonly associated with teenagers and for good reason. Teens go through puberty, and puberty means an increase in hormones. These hormones are important for producing physical changes that help children transition into adults. However, an unfortunate side effect is that they significantly increase the likelihood of having acne breakouts.
One group of hormones that play a big role in acne formation is androgens (aka “male hormones”). Androgen levels increase significantly during puberty. They bind to receptors in the skin and trigger oil production. More oil means greater likelihood of pores becoming clogged, resulting in acne.
Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with females. Although androgens are considered “male hormones,” females produce them as well, just in smaller amounts. Both males and females experience an androgen surge during puberty so both become more prone to getting acne.
3. Hormone Levels
We just went over puberty and how the increase in hormones, specifically androgens, contributes to acne. However, hormones aren’t just limited to our teen years. In fact, our hormone levels are constantly changing, and their effects are perceivable throughout our whole lives.
Hormonal changes are the main cause of acne in adults, with women being more affected than men. If you think about it, this makes sense because women experience significant fluctuations in hormone levels (menstrual periods, pregnancy, menopause, etc.) This is why, for instance, you may notice more acne popping up right before a menstrual period.
Important Information: Hormonal acne, or adult acne, tends to be much more severe than teen acne. If you suspect that you may be dealing with adult acne, be sure to check out my article on teenage versus adult acne
In that article, you’ll learn how to tell whether you have teen or adult acne, as well as the best treatment options for each type. (I’ve actually had both teen and adult acne! Unfortunate, I know.)
4. Genetics
Genetics also play a big role in acne. As with any condition, this can be a really good thing, or it can really suck. While there’s no single acne gene, the amount of oil that your skin naturally produces largely depends on your genes. And, as we know already, more oil means more acne-prone.
To predict what your acne may look like, you should take a look at close biological family members (i.e. parents, siblings). Their acne (or lack thereof) will be your best way to predict how mild or severe your acne might be and how long it might last.
5. Weather
Lastly, we’ll talk about the effects of weather on acne. You may have noticed more breakouts during the summer, and there’s a good reason for this. Hot and humid weather in particular causes acne. This is because two things to occur: your skin produces more oil, and you sweat more. Oil and sweat that gets trapped in the pores leads to acne.
Conclusion
Great job on making it to the end of this article! As you can see, these are all common causes of acne that there’s not much you can do about. These factors contribute to acne in nearly every person so know that you’re not alone. 🙂
That being said, it’s important to know both what you can and can’t change. If you’re curious to find out if some of your habits may be causing breakouts, be sure to check out my “5 Main Causes of Acne That Are Within Your Control” article.
Afterwards, if you find that only the causes discussed here are contributing to your acne, and your acne bothers you, then you might want to consider trying an acne treatment or talking to a doctor. It’s totally up to you. See you in my next article! Stay healthy and keep learning.