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Acne occurs when sebaceous glands within the hair follicles (pores) of the skin become clogged, because emission happens faster than the oil and skin cells can evacuate the follicle. The plug causes the follicle to swell (causing whiteheads), and the tip of the plug may darken (causing blackheads). If the plug causes the wall of the follicle to break, the oil, dead skin cells, and microbes found commonly on the surface of the skin can enter the skin and create small infected areas known as pustules (also called pimples or "zits").

The actual pimple is commonly the result of bacteria entering an open skin pore causing the body to react with millions of leukocytes to destroy the invaders. As the leukocytes fight and die they make an inflamed area that turns red (pimple) which over time turns into an even greater mass of dead cells that can form a pus pocket (white head).

Also, open pores can also be impacted with dried oils, external matter or just facial dirt that form what is commonly called a black head. Salt from sweat is another cause of most facial break outs when it dries and clogs pores.

Cysts occur when the infection reaches the deeper layers of the skin. A sebaceous cyst appears when the sebaceous gland continues producing oil. Instead of rupturing the follicle wall, the follicle continues to grow and form a soft, pliable lump (called a cyst) under the skin. The cyst is commonly not painful or discolored unless it becomes infected.

Acne Scar Causes

Acne scars occur when spots become inflamed or don't cure properly. While scarring for some sufferers seems to depend on hereditary factors or skin color, precautions can be taken to avoid scars and treatments are available to significantly improve scarred skin's appearance.

In the simple terms, scars are the visible reminders of injury and tissue healing. In the case of acne, the injury is caused by the body's inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the clogged sebaceous follicle. Two kinds of true scars exist:

(1) Depressed areas like in pitted acne scarring or ice-pick scars, and

(2) Raised thickened tissue like in keloids.

When a lesion happens the body sends in the 'troops' to heal the damage. However, when their job is done they may leave behind a chaos in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue. White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. For those who are susceptible to scarring the outcome may be an acne scar.