Acne may not be a life threatening disease, but it can actually affect your life and decrease your confidence.

But, what are the factors that cause acne?

• Your genes: if your mother or father used to suffer from this condition when they were teenagers, then chances are that you may face the same skin problems.
• Your hormones: androgens are most active, during puberty and they stimulate the sebaceous glands in your skin. This causes the production of more oil and clogs the pores. Hormonal changes and the use of contraceptive pills may also lead to the appearance of acne. However, in some cases the pill can be used for the treatment of this condition, so the indications about the effect of the contraceptive pill on acne are contradictory.
• Your stress levels: even though stress doesn't cause this disease, it can easily aggravate it.
• Your skin care: washing your face too frequently can cause negative results. You should also be very careful of the products and cosmetics you use. Oily make-ups, for example, can clog the pores and cause the appearance of pimples.
• Your diet: even though it hasn't been proved yet, some dermatologists believe that this condition may be caused by an allergy to certain foods.
• The medications you use: acne can occur as a side-effect caused by certain drugs such as steroids, antidepressants and pills for heart problems.

Some people also believe that this condition is caused due to poor hygiene, but this is just a myth. If someone believes this myth and starts washing their face several times per day, they will soon realise that persistent facial cleansing can do more harm than good, because it stimulates the production of sebum and makes things worse. The ideal approach to hygiene would be to wash your face every morning and night with a mild detergent.

So, how do you get rid of acne?

Proper nutrition is essential. Although scientific studies have failed to find correlation between diet and acne, it seems that certain foods may have a negative effect on the skin of some people. For this reason, you need to avoid eating pizza, chocolate and fried foods.

Using topical treatments, like creams may help you get some temporary results, but the only way to find a permanent solution to this problem is to restore your hormonal balance. There is a natural, homeopathic program that can help you get rid of acne once and for all.