Our bodies produce male hormones called androgens that make our skin oily. That oil can lead to acne in some people. Acne may also run in families (Acne vulgaris) although dermatologists aren't sure exactly what the connection is yet.

Acne is the result of overactivity of oil glands in the skin, usually because of increased hormonal activity in adolescence. Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms. Acne affects most teenagers to some extent. However, the disease is not restricted to any age group. Adults in their 20s - even into their 40s - can get acne. It is a very common disorder of the skin, worse in males than in females.

• Acne is caused by poor hygiene. If you believe this myth and wash your skin hard and frequently, you can actually make your acne worse. Acne is not caused by dirt or surface skin oils. Vigorous washing and scrubbing will actually irritate the skin and make acne worse.
• Acne is caused by diet. Extensive scientific studies have not found a connection between diet and acne. In other words, food does not cause acne. Nonetheless, some people insist that certain foods affect their acne. In that case, avoid those foods.
• Acne is caused by stress. The ordinary stress of day-to-day living is not an important factor in acne.
• Acne is just a cosmetic disease. Yes, acne does affect the way people look and is not otherwise a serious threat to a person's physical health. However, acne can result in permanent physical scars--plus, acne itself as well as its scars can affect the way people feel about themselves to the point of affecting their lives.
• You just have to let acne run its course. The truth is, acne can be cleared up. With the products available today, there is no reason why someone has to endure acne or get acne scars.
• Infection is not the primary cause, and long-term treatment with tetracycline and other antibiotics should be avoided.

Although diet is not the major determinant of acne, it is important to avoid high-fat foods and iodine (found in shellfish and iodized salt). Acne-like outbreaks may result from heavy consumption of iodine-containing health foods such as kelp.

Some skin and hair-care cosmetics can cause outbreaks of comedones. This is called acnegenicity-the ability to induce acne. The term acnegenicity refers to both: comedogenicity-the ability to induce comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), and papule and pustule formation. Papules and pustules induced by a cosmetic usually appear within a few days after the cosmetic is used. Comedones begin to appear later. Always use noncomedogenic cosmetics. However, people with very sensitive skin can still develop acne even to the very best noncomedogenic cosmetics.

Acne can be caused or aggravated by a number of medications. This includes anabolic steroids, testosterone, gonadotropin, corticosteroids, anti-epilepsy medications, anti-tuberculosis drugs, lithium, cyclosporin and medications containing iodine or bromine.

Most cases of acne will disappear by themselves at the end of adolescence, but if acne persists or becomes severe, it should be treated more aggressively to prevent scarring.

Rosacea is a relatively common skin disorder in adults in which the nose and cheeks are reddened and covered with pimples. About 13 million adults in the US are afflicted with rosacea. Rosacea (also called acne rosacea) is a skin condition that causes the superficial capillaries of the face to dilate, flushing the skin with blood. As the condition progresses, it may be accompanied by a rash of acne-like bumps.

Although Rosacea was made well-known by actor W.C. Fields, who exhibited rare, end-stage rosacea with rhinophyma (nose swelling and tissue overgrowth), women are actually three times more susceptible to this disorder than men. The most vulnerable are fair-skinned people who blush easily, between the ages of 30 and 50.

The exact cause is not known, but postulated factors include alcohol abuse, menopausal flushing, B vitamin deficiency (The B vitamin thought to play a major role is riboflavin) and gastrointestinal disorders.

There's no cure for rosacea but there are a number of measures you can use to keep rosacea under control and minimize flare-ups.

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