Warwick Busby 
Pimples affect most teenagers and many adults alike, typically appearing when pores become clogged with excess oil from glands beneath the skin. Pimples may manifest themselves in many forms: blackheads (clogged open pores), whiteheads (closed pores) or even pustules and cysts that leave permanent scars.
A healthy, balanced diet may be key in managing acne. Avoid picking at or pressing on pimples which could spread and become infected, which could increase their severity and spread infection further.
Hormones
Hormonal changes are one of the primary sources of pimples, accounting for nearly 80% of preteen and teen breakouts. Hormone fluctuation can still cause breakouts among adults; many experience flare-ups at their period time or because they suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Testosterone levels increase during puberty to facilitate male development in boys and give girls strength in muscles and bones; this causes oil glands to expand and produce more sebum. Declining estrogen and progesterone levels during pregnancy or menopause may contribute to acne outbreaks as well.
Birth control pills, IUDs and steroids may all contribute to breakouts. Gut health also plays an important role; when eating processed or inflammatory foods regularly they may damage your digestive system and delay detoxifying, which helps clear away toxins from your body and can result in imbalances of microbiomes that support skin health; which in turn lead to inflammation and irritation.
Stress
Stress doesn’t cause acne directly, but it can exacerbate those caused by hormonal fluctuations. Your body produces cortisol when stressed – an acid that binds with receptors on sebaceous glands to stimulate them into producing more oil – leading them to produce even more than necessary, which then mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria on your face to form pimples.
Stress has yet to be fully understood in how it exacerbates acne; however, its exact mechanism remains unknown. Hormones triggered by stress could trigger neuropeptide release that leads to increased oil production or stress could make you indulge in less-than-healthy habits such as not sleeping well or picking at your blemishes which in turn exacerbate your acne condition.
If you suspect your breakouts could be related to stress, try keeping a diary and noting when your skin breaks out. Compare this data against when you feel most stressed to see if there’s any correlation.
Diet
Long held beliefs hold that diet plays a large part in acne formation. Fatty burgers and fries, chocolate and other dairy or sugar-containing products have all been fingered as sources of oily skin; however, there has not been enough high-quality research done to back these claims up.
Researchers know that diets high in highly processed, nutrient-poor foods increase your risk of pimples. This may be because these foods cause blood sugar to spike quickly, stimulating hormones responsible for secreting more skin oils into the system.
Dairy products, specifically milk, may also contribute to acne as they contain proteins like whey and casein that block pores and lead to breakouts. Studies also show that skim milk does not help; in fact it could aggravate it further as it contains similar proteins that block your pores. If dairy bothers your acne then try cutting back entirely or switching up what you drink!
Environmental Factors
Pimples form on oil glands called sebaceous glands in the skin, such as those located on the face (including nose, chin and forehead), neck, back and chest. These glands produce sebum to keep skin and hair hydrated and shiny; when this lubricant becomes blocked with excess oil, dead cells and Propionibacterium acnes bacteria it causes inflammation that leads to swelling and form pimples.
Acne is most prevalent during adolescence; however, it can affect people into their 20s, 30s, or beyond. Pimples may form on other parts of the body including eyes (styes), ears, scalp, or external genitals.
Certain occupations that utilize oil, coal tar derivatives and chlorinated hydrocarbons have been linked with acne mechanica. Obesity has also been associated with increased secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1, which may contribute to acne (acne rosacea).
