The Cause of Oily Skin
The oil is produced by oil glands known as sebaceous glands. These glands are bigger and more active in the region of the nose than any other areas of the face. This is why the nose tends to be a trouble area for even those with normal skin. The pores in this area are also larger, in order to accomodate the large flow of oil produced. Other areas on the body where sebaceous glands are most heavily concentrated are the neck, chest, and back-areas where body acne can be common. The amount of oil that an individual makes is determined by genetics. It is affected by hormones and what is called an "end organ response". The oil gland is considered the end organ because it is this gland that is acted upon by hormones. Many people have the same level of hormones, but make different amount of oil because their oil glands respond differently. During adolescence, a surge in the level of sex hormones, known as androgens, creates a problem of oily skin where sometimes there was none. The reason is that androgens enlarge and stimulate the sebaceous glands, causing them to produce more sebum. While this stimulation is not directly responsible for acne, the extra sebum for which they're responsible produces more fatty acids when a comedo plug closes off a pore opening. The additional fatty acids increase the amount of inflammation, and more severe acne occurs. Despite all the trouble that sebum causes, it is very important to the maintenance of the skin. When the system is working properly, sebum performs the important job of helping to lubricate your skin. Sebum also carries with it dead skin cells shedding from your hair follicle walls. For someone with oily skin, the best thing to do is to take measures to keep pores from getting clogged and forming acne lesions.
