Acne occurs when excessive amounts of oils are secreted by the body and go into the many pores within the skin, clogging them up. As a result you have those annoying zits and pimples that occur seemingly overnight. What causes pimples is usually the skin below and around the follicles are constantly shedding and growing new skin. These dead skin cells can become excessive and clog up the pores. Contributing to this may be the overproduction of sebum, clogging the pores even more.

Acne lesions generally occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms. It may range from being in mild and moderate to severe form. The oil glands are stimulated to produce oil by hormones, specifically the male hormones called androgens (women also have these hormones, but much less of them). These hormones are produced by the testes in men and by the ovaries in women.

Sweating can cause acne to worsen. Pores can become blocked from excess sweat that cannot evaporate. Always take a shower after sweating and wear loose fitting clothing. Athletic equipment such as headbands, chin straps, pads and helmets may all trap sweat and contribute to the causes of pimples.

Stress may cause acne . When you are stressed, your body signals the sebaceous glands to secrete more sebum. Excess of sebum clogs up the hair follicle, which eventually results in acne breakouts.

Environmental pollutants block the skin pores and cause the accumulation of dead cells and sebum. Hence, pollution is one of the acne breakout causes.

Even though the causes of acne and pimples are many, you can go to your dermatologist or research on the internet as to the other ones, because once you have a better understand of your individual cause, then you will get a better idea about how to treat it.