What causes acne?

AnotherOldGuy

New member
I got a very unusual zit on my shoulder - typically do not get these.

As I see zits on people who are doing more than just TRT, wondering what the cause is.
 
AnotherOldGuy said:
so then does this imply a high level of DHT? or just increased.
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Not always. Some people have more DHT enzyme activity on skin. This is why you sometimes see high T teenagers with clear skin, and so so T guys with acne.

However, with someone who was prior acne prone, this enzyme activity never goes away - rise in androgen hormones = rise in DHT = acne again.

I like topical benzoil peroxide. Fish Oil and B-5 as well. B-5 works directly on fat cell breakdown.
 
so even the low levels of TRT (2ml of 5%) can cause acne to start back up again?

(hope these aren't stupid questions for this place - the threads always get pretty deep and this seems juvenile)
 
plymouth city said:
Activity of DHT enzyme on the skin causes acne.

This is a several step process.
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I dont doubt dht can cause acne but other factors definetly can cause acne too. I got acne on my shoulders when using propecia and i never had acne other than the odd spot on my face once every few month as a teenager, yet with low dht it broke out more than ever b4 at the age of 28.
 
nallepuh said:
I dont doubt dht can cause acne but other factors definetly can cause acne too. I got acne on my shoulders when using propecia and i never had acne other than the odd spot on my face once every few month as a teenager, yet with low dht it broke out more than ever b4 at the age of 28.
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Lowering DHT levels has little to do with enzyme actions on skin. Women with acne are proof of this.
 
plymouth city said:
Lowering DHT levels has little to do with enzyme actions on skin. Women with acne are proof of this.
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Im not saying DHT wont cause acne cause im sure it can but women getting acne is only proof of low levels of DHT causing acne if u assume DHT is the only reason for acne to begin with..

Are u saying propecia wont reduce the 5 ar enzyme in the skin? even if it did not, how does lowering systematic DHT by 70 % with propecia increase 5 ar enzyme activity in the skin since i get acne from propecia and dont have any problems off propecia? Im not alone getting acne from propecia, just search for acne in this link for instance.

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In my mind theres more to acne than just DHT.
 
nallepuh said:
Im not saying DHT wont cause acne cause im sure it can but women getting acne is only proof of low levels of DHT causing acne if u assume DHT is the only reason for acne to begin with..

Are u saying propecia wont reduce the 5 ar enzyme in the skin? even if it did not, how does lowering systematic DHT by 70 % with propecia increase 5 ar enzyme activity in the skin since i get acne from propecia and dont have any problems off propecia? Im not alone getting acne from propecia, just search for acne in this link for instance.

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In my mind theres more to acne than just DHT.
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It is specific T conversion to DHT via 5 alpha enzyme action upon skin. IT IS NOT CIRCULATING DHT LEVELS.

DHT levels are, for the most part, seperate of this. Consider old people who have high 5 alpha conversion of T-DHT within the prostate and get cancer - all despite low circulating DHT levels.

Propecia does not affect such process on skin level. I might throw a college guess out there and say that anything that disrupts hormonal pathways as severly as propecia does will cause all sorts of issues, not just acne.
 
for some reason when i cut out like all fruits and grains and eat really good meats and veggies, my skin becomes very clear
 
engival said:
for some reason when i cut out like all fruits and grains and eat really good meats and veggies, my skin becomes very clear
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This is due to reducing your IGF-1 levels. High glucose levels leads to high IGF-1 levels that then suppresses IGFBP III. It is the IGFBP III that is responsible for skin cells sluffing off in natural cycle. If it is suppressed, then acne can occur.

Acne clears to a large degree in many people when following a Paleo or Low Carb type diet that is devoid of grains, sugars, and processed carbs.

The best solution I have found for adult acne is using red and blue lamps, plus the big bonus is I get to eat what I want. The downside is I am putting on some weight BECAUSE I CAN EAT WHAT I WANT! Check out Invalid Link Removed
 
Mr. V said:
This is due to reducing your IGF-1 levels. High glucose levels leads to high IGF-1 levels that then suppresses IGFBP III. Only temporarily. Over time, insulin resistance that occurs from eating carbs will lower IGF-1 It is the IGFBP III that is responsible for skin cells sluffing off in natural cycle. If it is suppressed, then acne can occur.

Acne clears to a large degree in many people when following a Paleo or Low Carb type diet that is devoid of grains, sugars, and processed carbs.

The best solution I have found for adult acne is using red and blue lamps, plus the big bonus is I get to eat what I want. The downside is I am putting on some weight BECAUSE I CAN EAT WHAT I WANT! Check out Invalid Link Removed
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Answer in red
 
Mr. V said:
Studies please.
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Im not just here for my good looks ya know.

I follow what your saying about insulin and IGF-1 levels - insulin will cause a temporary spike in IGF.

I have a feeling that the spike over time becomes blunted, and that carb laden diets will lead to lower GH, and IGF levels will reflect that

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It is a drastic oversimplification to say one thing "causes" acne. Acne is primarily an inflammatory process, but there are many factors beginning on the skin and moving to hormonal issues. If we are talking about back and shoulder acne, then clearly the main factor is hormonal.
 
RPHMark said:
It is a drastic oversimplification to say one thing "causes" acne. Acne is primarily an inflammatory process, but there are many factors beginning on the skin and moving to hormonal issues. If we are talking about back and shoulder acne, then clearly the main factor is hormonal.
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Not so fast papi.

The elderly are notorious for having severe inflammation throughout the body. If inflammation were to blame, old people would be covered in acne, not teenagers, who have little ionflammation going on.

It is the specific conversion of FT - DHT upon the 5 alpha alpha mechanism on the skin.
 
Again, you can't just say "inflammation throughout the body" should equal acne. Inflammation can come from many sources and through more than one mechanism. If not, why wouldn't everyone with any kind of inflammation have the same exact set of symptoms? Clearly they do not. Acne is primarily inflammitory. DHT conversion is definitely an issue, but estrogen levels also have been clearly linked to acne. Additionally sebum production in the pores that varies from person to person despite DHT plays a large role. If it were all one cause then there would be one great cure. That is not the case. Some respond to benzoyl peroxide, others to tretinoin, other to antibiotics (used primarily for antiinflammitory effect), some to salicylic acid products, etc. I don't think you are wrong per se, just over-simplifying.
 
"If not, why wouldn't everyone with any kind of inflammation have the same exact set of symptoms? Clearly they do not"

Clearly they do - Its called heart disease. Wait, as long as Im on the subject, you can go ahead and throw in pretty much a majority of all aging related conditions and tie them into inflammation.

Inflammation does NOT directly cause acne. It is a by product of an already disrupted mechanism - a clogged pore.
 
Again, not wrong, just over-simplified. True that most if not all "aging" has some basis in inflammation. I am only saying that if it were that simple it would all show up with the same set of symptoms/diseases; it just doesn't present that way in real life.
 
"but estrogen levels also have been clearly linked to acne"

There is some basis there - Estrogen is somehow linked in the FT -> DHT conversion via 5 alpha enzyme.

Apparently within the prostate, estrogen by products, possibly 16 hydroxy, increase 5 alpha activity. This is how DHT is aligned with prostate cancer - DHT doesn't cause it, but is the villian due to increased activity via the alpha enzyme.

I suspect that if estrogen does this within the prostate, it very well does the same thing on the skin, as these are similar actions. And any time you increase this FT - > DHT activity, your gonna get more acne.

Again though, inflammation clearly is an after product of acne. The pore gets clogged first due to other mechanisms. This is true that if you cut inflammation down you get less acne - shoot a guy up with cortisone and watch his skin clear. I do suspect though that a decrease in androgen hormones that occurs with cortisone is partly in effect.
 
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