Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Acne vulgarisis a common skin condition that occurs when hair follicles become blocked with dead skin cells, bacteria, and skin oils (sebum). The blocked follicles cause inflammatory and non-inflammatory blemishes like pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads.
Acne vulgaris is the most common form of acne. It is closely linked tochanges in hormones, diet, stress, and family genetics. An estimated 50 million people in the United States are thought to be affected. It is common in teens but can occur at any age.
The article looks at the types, symptoms, and causes of acne vulgaris, including how this common skin condition is diagnosed, treated, and prevented.
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Types of Acne Vulgaris
Do I Have Severe Acne?
Symptoms of Acne Vulgaris
Foods That Could Be Sabotaging Your Skin Health
What Causes Acne?
Acne vulgaris is associated with hormonal changes as well as lifestyle factors that promote the development of comedones and pimples.
Hormones
During puberty, male sex hormones calledandrogensincrease, triggering changes in the teenage body. Among the changes, oil-producing glands calledsebaceous glandswill secrete large amounts of sebum. These oils can capture dead skin cells on the surface of the skin and clog pores. The more sebum that is produced, the greater the risk of acne.
As you enter early adulthood, androgen levels tend to decrease enough that acne breakouts will occur less frequently and eventually start to disappear.
How Stress and Acne Are LinkedSome people get acne when they are stressed, overworked, or sleep deprived. When this happens, the body produces a hormone calledcortisolthat can increase blood sugar and provoke whole-body inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, increases the production of sebum.
How Stress and Acne Are Linked
Some people get acne when they are stressed, overworked, or sleep deprived. When this happens, the body produces a hormone calledcortisolthat can increase blood sugar and provoke whole-body inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, increases the production of sebum.
Diet
Despite considerable debate, some researchers believe there is a link between the foods a person eats and their risk of acne breakouts.
Studies Link Acne Breakouts to Diet
Skin Care
These include skincare products like:
Does Dirty Skin Cause Acne?
Family History
Having a first-generation relative with acne, such as a parent or sibling, may predispose you to acne as an adult.
Some studies suggest that certain gene mutations passed from parents to children are linked to overactive sebaceous glands. This seems particularly true in families where one or both parents have severe acne with scarring; rarely do their children escape significant acne breakouts.
Acne-Prone Skin: Extra Steps to Add to Your Skin-Care Routine
Medications
Many medications can affect hormones that influence the production of sebum. Others cause acne when treatment is stopped and hormone levels are suddenly imbalanced.
These include drugs like:
Diagnosing Acne Vulgaris
Most of the time, acne is diagnosed with a visual inspection of the skin.Your healthcare provider may also ask you several questions about:
If there is any doubt about the cause of your breakout, you may be referred to a skin specialist called adermatologistto rule out other possible explanations, such as:
How Acne Is Treated?
Based on the severity of your acne (mild, moderate, severe), your healthcare provider can prescribe the appropriate treatment. It may involve one or several of the following treatment options:
Lifestyle Modifications
There are a number of lifestyle changes that reduce your risk of acne:
Acne Medications
Some of the most common acne medications include:
Specialist Procedures
For cases of moderate to severe acne that don’t respond to medications, certain in-office procedures may be recommended, including:
Does Light Therapy Help?While a little sun exposure may be good for the skin,ultraviolet (UV) light therapyused for skin conditions likepsoriasisis no longer recommended for acne. It has not been shown to ease acne symptoms and can end up causing skin damage in some people.
Does Light Therapy Help?
While a little sun exposure may be good for the skin,ultraviolet (UV) light therapyused for skin conditions likepsoriasisis no longer recommended for acne. It has not been shown to ease acne symptoms and can end up causing skin damage in some people.
Summary
Acne can usually be diagnosed with a physical inspection and, depending on the severity, may be treated with changes in diet or lifestyle, topical or oral medications, and/or specialist procedures like chemical peels or steroid injections.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, et al.Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris.J Am Acad Dermatol.2016;74(5):945-73.e33. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.12.037American Academy of Dermatology.Acne: Signs and Symptoms.Tan JKL, Jones E, Allen E, Pripotnev S, Raza A, Wolfe B.Evaluation of essential clinical components and features of current acne global grading scales.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;69(5):754–61. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.07.029National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne.Keri J.Acne Vulgaris.Merck Manual Professional Version.Dall’Oglio F, Nasca MR, Fiorentini F, Micali G.Diet and acne: review of the evidence from 2009 to 2020.Int J Dermatol. 2021 Jan 18. doi:10.1111/ijd.15390American Association of Dermatology.Tips for managing acne.Keri J.Acne. Merck Manual Consumer Version.Heng AHS, Say YH, Sio YY, Ng YT, Chew FT.Epidemiological risk factors associated with acne vulgaris presentation, severity, and scarring in a Singapore Chinese population: a cross-sectional study.Dermatology. 2022;238(2):226-35. doi:10.1159/000516232National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.Additional ReadingLavers I.Therapeutic strategies for acne vulgaris. Nurs Times. 2013;109(48):16-8.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, et al.Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris.J Am Acad Dermatol.2016;74(5):945-73.e33. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.12.037American Academy of Dermatology.Acne: Signs and Symptoms.Tan JKL, Jones E, Allen E, Pripotnev S, Raza A, Wolfe B.Evaluation of essential clinical components and features of current acne global grading scales.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;69(5):754–61. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.07.029National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne.Keri J.Acne Vulgaris.Merck Manual Professional Version.Dall’Oglio F, Nasca MR, Fiorentini F, Micali G.Diet and acne: review of the evidence from 2009 to 2020.Int J Dermatol. 2021 Jan 18. doi:10.1111/ijd.15390American Association of Dermatology.Tips for managing acne.Keri J.Acne. Merck Manual Consumer Version.Heng AHS, Say YH, Sio YY, Ng YT, Chew FT.Epidemiological risk factors associated with acne vulgaris presentation, severity, and scarring in a Singapore Chinese population: a cross-sectional study.Dermatology. 2022;238(2):226-35. doi:10.1159/000516232National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.Additional ReadingLavers I.Therapeutic strategies for acne vulgaris. Nurs Times. 2013;109(48):16-8.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, et al.Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris.J Am Acad Dermatol.2016;74(5):945-73.e33. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.12.037American Academy of Dermatology.Acne: Signs and Symptoms.Tan JKL, Jones E, Allen E, Pripotnev S, Raza A, Wolfe B.Evaluation of essential clinical components and features of current acne global grading scales.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;69(5):754–61. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.07.029National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne.Keri J.Acne Vulgaris.Merck Manual Professional Version.Dall’Oglio F, Nasca MR, Fiorentini F, Micali G.Diet and acne: review of the evidence from 2009 to 2020.Int J Dermatol. 2021 Jan 18. doi:10.1111/ijd.15390American Association of Dermatology.Tips for managing acne.Keri J.Acne. Merck Manual Consumer Version.Heng AHS, Say YH, Sio YY, Ng YT, Chew FT.Epidemiological risk factors associated with acne vulgaris presentation, severity, and scarring in a Singapore Chinese population: a cross-sectional study.Dermatology. 2022;238(2):226-35. doi:10.1159/000516232National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.
Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, et al.Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris.J Am Acad Dermatol.2016;74(5):945-73.e33. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.12.037
American Academy of Dermatology.Acne: Signs and Symptoms.
Tan JKL, Jones E, Allen E, Pripotnev S, Raza A, Wolfe B.Evaluation of essential clinical components and features of current acne global grading scales.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;69(5):754–61. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.07.029
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne.
Keri J.Acne Vulgaris.Merck Manual Professional Version.
Dall’Oglio F, Nasca MR, Fiorentini F, Micali G.Diet and acne: review of the evidence from 2009 to 2020.Int J Dermatol. 2021 Jan 18. doi:10.1111/ijd.15390
American Association of Dermatology.Tips for managing acne.
Keri J.Acne. Merck Manual Consumer Version.
Heng AHS, Say YH, Sio YY, Ng YT, Chew FT.Epidemiological risk factors associated with acne vulgaris presentation, severity, and scarring in a Singapore Chinese population: a cross-sectional study.Dermatology. 2022;238(2):226-35. doi:10.1159/000516232
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Acne: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.
Lavers I.Therapeutic strategies for acne vulgaris. Nurs Times. 2013;109(48):16-8.
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