Parents may be to blame

Teenagers' odds of developing moderate to severe acne may depend largely on whether their parents had the problem, a new study suggests.

Most teenagers have occasional acne breakouts, with the hormonal shifts of adolescence, particularly elevations in testosterone, the prime culprit. But some teens, and adults, develop more-extensive acne that may require treatment with topical prescriptions or oral medications like antibiotics or isotretinoin, a synthetic form of vitamin A.