Acne can begin at any age, but hormonal influences make it more common in the middle to late teenage years.

There is a slight predominance in men, who also commonly have more severe involvement. Despite the disparate sex ratio, more women seek acne treatment than men.

There may be a familial (i.e. genetic) influence, especially in severe cases.

The incidence of acne is equal in all races.

Acne patients who have recently received systemic corticosteroidal agents may develop severe acne rapidly.

Similarly, those ance patients who take anabolic steroids to build muscle mass may develop severe acne suddenly.

Other medications have a tendency to exacerbate acne, including lithium and birth control agents such as medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera) and oral contraceptive agents. The use of specific cosmetic agents, ranging from abrasive cleansers to foundations and moisturizing creams, may exacerbate acne on an individual and idiosyncratic basis. Unfortunately, no cosmetics or toiletries can be guaranteed to be unexceptionally free of acnegenicity.