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Acne appears when sebaceous glands within the hair follicles (pores) of the skin become plugged, because emission happens faster than the oil and skin cells can evacuate the follicle. The plug makes the follicle to swell (causing whiteheads), and the top of the plug may darken (causing blackheads). If the plug causes the wall of the follicle to break, the sebum, devitalized skin cells, and microorganisms found usually on the surface of the skin can penetrate the skin and create small infected areas called pustules (also known as pimples or "zits").

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

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

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

Acne Scar Causes

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

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

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

(2) Raised thickened tissue like in keloids.

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