Contrary to belief, acne is not caused by eating oily foods, soft drinks, or chocolate. Likewise, acne does not indicate that the teen's face is too dirty. Family background or heredity plays a very important role as well. 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, leading to whiteheads or blackheads. Bacteria thrive on this oil from oil glands, 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.
Excessive scrubbing of the skin actually irritates the skin and increases the number of loose skin cells, leading to increased pore clogging. Anything that puts pressure on, or rubs the skin excessively will aggravate acne. Certain medications, especially hormones taken orally or by injection can increase acne as a side effect. Females often observe that their acne increases before or during their menstrual periods, as a result of the increased hormones present at this time. Every teen knows that stress and tension can induce acne flare ups.