Genetics also plays a role in determining who is at risk of developing
acne. Experts agree that acne seems to run in families and
that there seems to be a direct link between the development of severe
acne and familial patterns. Experts are unsure why this is so,
since an acne gene has not yet been discovered. However, a number
of studies have shown that genetics does play a role in determining
how likely a person is to develop acne.
Various studies of
identical twins, for example, found in over 50 percent of all cases
that if one twin develops acne so does the other. Correspondingly,
other studies have shown similarities among parents and children
regarding the types of acne lesions, the severity of acne, and the
duration of acne. Apatient with acne explains: “I inherited it [acne]
from my mother, and she’s always telling me that she had the exact
same thing and that it will go away. I am mad that I inherited
it from her.
Just as stress
can change hormone levels, certain medications can
also have this effect. For example, although some birth control pills
contain estrogen, which lowers androgen levels, one type of birth
control pill contains progesterone, a hormone that stimulates the
body to produce androgen, which can make acne worse. Other
medicines such as those used to treat epilepsy, a disorder that
causes seizures, and anabolic steroids, drugs often used illegally
by athletes and bodybuilders to stimulate muscle growth, stimulate
the production of androgen and have been linked to acne.
