Acne is one of the most common skin disorders, affecting nearly everyone at sometime during their life, whether they are children, teens or adults. And even though acne is so pervasive, the specific cause of acne is still pretty much an unknown. And while there are no definitive answers to what causes acne, there are several factors that most experts agree are likely to contribute to acne development or aggravating existing conditions.

Factor #1: Your Genetics

Since your genetics play a role in most aspects of your growth and development, it's no shock that genetics influences the development of acne as well. Some research has shown that people who have a close relative or parent with severe acne are more likely to also have major acne problems. In fact, genetics is one of the most likely culprits in influencing acne development. Unfortunately, this is one potential cause of acne that you can't do much about.

Factor #2: Your Diet

Diet is yet another potential cause of acne, though this is also a subject of much debate among skin care professionals. However many people seem to notice increased acne symptoms when they eat certain types of foods or drinks, though whether or not that's purely due to the food and not influenced by other factors remains to be seen.

Factor #3: Changes in Your Hormones

Hormonal changes are one of the agreed-upon factors contributing to acne development. During adolescence, several hormonal changes take place, including the increased production of male hormones. These hormones affect the oil glands of the skin, causing more oil to be produced, causing pimples and blackheads to appear on the skin.

Other hormonal changes occurring as part of a woman's menstrual cycle can affect acne as well. That same idea sometimes holds true for birth control pills since starting or stopping the use of such medication also has an effect on a woman's hormones. However birth control pills have also been used as an unorthodox way of treating acne since the effect they have on a woman's hormones can actually be beneficial. How is that for confusing? Now you can see why there are still a good deal of unknowns when it comes to understanding the causes of acne.

Factor #4: Increased Stress

We all probably have too much stress in our lives. Unfortunately, one of the negative side effects of too much stress is that it can contribute to the development of acne and other conditions. This is a subject of much debate among medical professionals, with some doctors in agreement that stress definitely has an impact while others seem not so sure, attributing acne development to other causes.

Since there are so many possible causes of acne, it's a good idea to try out different acne remedies and methods to see what works best for you. Since there's no single answer for what causes acne, there's also no single cure. In fact, many remedies produce different results on different people so it might require some trial and error to find out what works best for you.