The overproduction of oil by the oil glands on the skin can lead to a skin condition known as acne. Everyone's skin has oil that occurs naturally to help lubrication. However, occasionally this oil will become trapped in oil ducts that become blocked and then pimples, blackheads and whiteheads result on the surface of the skin. Occasionally the condition can be bad enough for cysts to develop when are deeper skin lesions.

To keep them apart pimples are basically small skin swellings that can sometimes contain pus. Blackheads will form when the block pore accumulates both oil and dead cells. Whiteheads occur when there is skin pore blockage and are usually small flesh or white colored bumps. Cysts are a closed sac that can occur beneath the skin or deeper down and typically contain fluid or semisolid substances.

Acne typically affects the areas of the skin that have the largest number of oil glands. The forehead is the most commonly affected area because there are two thousand oil glands per square inch on the forehead alone. Other areas with a lot of oil glands that can be affected include the face, chest, shoulders and back. Acne is typically seen on teenagers and those in their early twenties, however the condition can easily affect anyone including older adults and children.

For most people acne will go away on its own within about three to four years. Although in fifteen percent of individuals acne can actually take eight to twelve years to go away. In five percent of individual acne will continue up until their forties. Women tend to see a flare of acne skin conditions just prior to the menstrual period because of the increase in androgens. These are a steroid hormone that helps with the development and maintenance of male physical characteristics.

Men tend to have the more severe cases of acne since they produce more of the male hormones which affect the formation of acne. Women can have an increased risk of acne if they have a lot of body or facial hair and those with an irregular period cycle. For women with these conditions it may be a good idea to talk to their physician about their hormone levels. Teenagers and young adults tend to be the most affected by acne compared to adults because their glands tend to product more oil than older adults.