Family background or heredity plays a very important role as well. If many members of a teenager's family had or now have acne, it is likely that the problem of oily skin has been inherited and the teen's skin will be more sensitive than most people's to the effects of the hormones generated by the body. If the skin cells that line the oil glands or pores are present in unusually large numbers, they tend to stick together, clogging the openings to the pores. When bacteria are present on the skin, they tend to infect the oil glands. Bacteria thrive on this oil, growing readily beneath the skin cells and leading to infection.
Cystic acne is a deeper infection of the skin and is more likely to lead to permanent scarring.
Myths are often perpetrated that consumption of rich oily foods, soft drinks, chocolate, and many other foods commonly eaten by the average teen cause acne. Likewise, acne does not indicate that the teen's face is too dirty. As noted above, blackheads are colored by skin pigment cells, not dirt. It is these cysts that are more likely to cause scarring, the most serious complication of acne. Excessive scrubbing of the skin actually irritates the skin and increases the number of loose skin cells, leading to increased pore clogging.