Infant acne can develop between the ages of 3 to 6 months, and usually clears up by the third year. Boys are more likely to develop the condition than girls. While the infant variety usually doesn't lead to scarring, a severe case may require treatment and increases the likelihood of developing acne vulgaris during puberty.
Clogged Pores, Sebaceous Glands and Zits
The sebaceous glands continue to produce sebum, but it has nowhere to go. The sebum becomes infected with bacteria, which causes the clogged pores to become inflamed and swollen. Suddenly, you've got zits.
Because of the internal pressure, zits left untreated will eventually burst. The mixture of bacteria, oil and dead skin cells is spread across the surrounding skin. This creates areas of oily skin with plenty of material to plug up more hair follicles and start the whole process over again.
Causes of Acne
Heredity is also one of the causes of acne. If a parent had acne as a teenager, chances are good his/her child will too. And the more severe the parents' condition, the greater the likelihood that the children's acne will also be severe.
Stress and Acne
Who's at Risk?
Pregnant women may suddenly develop acne, or existing instances may worsen during pregnancy. On the flip side, it's also possible for pre-pregnancy acne to clear up during a pregnancy.
Adolescent girls and adult women may also experience sudden flare-ups two to seven days before menstruation. Starting or stopping birth control pills can also result in breakouts.
Using certain medications and drugs can cause acne breakouts – androgen therapy, barbiturates, testosterone and lithium all list acne as possible side effects. Users of illegal anabolic steroids can develop severe acne.
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