As far as medicine has come over the centuries, it still seems to be fairly stumped by one question, at least: What causes acne? While science can point its finger in a general way, it has not solved the whole puzzle by any means.
(Not that it's letting that stop it from marketing literally thousands of "miracle" cures.
) First let's start with the opposite of this question: What doesn't cause acne? Surprisingly, studies have found no real link between "greasy" foods or chocolate; two commonly blamed causes.
Does that mean you can eat pizza everyday and at least not feel guilty? Well, quite frankly, yes that's exactly what it means.
Although, I'd suggest watching your face out of the corner of your eye to see if maybe in your case there is a link.
None-the-less many rigorous medical tests have been performed on this very subject and doctors continue to report that there is no real evidence of a link between acne and any food whatsoever.
So if greasy food doesn't cause acne, then what does? The best answer that doctors have been able to come up with (up to this point) is that acne is caused by rising hormone levels.
When androgens, or male hormones, are manufactured (in males and females) they enlarge the sebaceous glands and in turn cause the body to manufacture an oily substance called sebum.
This sebum is the closest thing we have to a culprit in the creation of acne.
Some other less proven causes of acne include stress, genetics or inheritance, pre-menstrual hormonal changes in women, and some drugs such as lithium, steroids, and androgens themselves.
If you have ever heard about how people using anabolic steroids to bulk up can get major acne, that is because the drug itself triggers the sebaceous glands into an increased sebum production as previously noted.