Acne is a skin condition characterized by inflamed skin pores, which can manifest themselves as whiteheads, blackheads, pimples or cysts. Acne affects anyone regardless of age, but it is a condition that is most prevalent among teenagers.

The medical term used to describe common Acne is "Acne Vulgaris". If bacteria is present in the pores of the skin this will undoubtedly cause the condition.What normally follows is that the body becomes allergic to the acne causing bacteria.Pus is formed in the affected pores as a result of the attraction of white blood cells.

When the pores become more clogged this can prompt the build up of oil which is produced by the oil glands and result in the pores becoming even more clogged. The result is that it allows the pores to produce more bacteria and finally this is followed by the appearance of pimples or small lumps which sometimes look like boils.

Despite all the technological and scientific advancements Acne still remains with no perfect cure. In essence , once you are unfortunate enough to develop the condition , generally speaking , you just have to be patient until you virtually outgrow it. In the interim what you should be doing is making every effort to make sure the physical effects are minimized.

Some of the things which were believed in the past were that poor personal hygiene and various foods caused Acne. You have undoubtedly been subjected to the usual statements that things like chocolate and fried foods were some of the culprits for causing this condition.

However, science still has not linked diet to acne. Some even scrubbed their face so hard believing that opening the pores and keeping their face squeaky clean all the time will reduce their acne.

Again, good personal hygiene is desirable, but overwashing acne prone skin can make the condition even worse. That said, following a good dieat and good hygiene is advisable, as doing so may help improve the skin since acne is a sign of unhealthy skin.

With regard to cosmetics it will help if you use hypoallergenic or noncomedogenic products as these will not make the condition worse as they will not clog the pores.