If you suffer from acne then you probably know the symptoms of acne but do you know the causes? Spots and pimples are the common symptoms of acne although other types such as rosacea acne causes red blotches on the skin.

The symptoms are closely linked to the causes of acne and suggested to be associated to the sebaceous glands that lie beneath the skin's surface. When the sebaceous glands over produce oil, it can cause acne. Whilst everyone produces oil it is not understood why in some people it causes acne and in others not.

Having oily skin from the over production of oil from the sebaceous glands is thought to be a primary cause of acne. With too much oil the pores of the skin can easily become blocked and oil can be trapped inside. Bacteria can be caused and when additional oil is produced this is pushed to the surface of the skin and visible in the form of black heads or white head pimples.

There has been suggested over contributory factors though, such as hormone changes, lifestyle, skin type, genes, toxins and excessive stress. Hormonal changes are thought to be a main factor as you tend to suffer acne during certain stages of life when hormonal changes are most prevalent. Acne is typical during teenage, pregnancy and menopause.

A common mistake in the treatment of acne is to attempt to dry out the skin to combat over production of oily skin. Instead you can cause even further production of oil as the body attempts to compensate for the dryness.

Instead the secret is to look at treating both the symptoms and causes at the same time. There are a number of over the counter acne treatments that can be effective. With these treatments you can seriously tackle your acne and successfully remove acne permanently.