Acne Myths - The Nonsense and The Reality

There can't be anyone who has acne who has not been told not to eat chocolate or French fries or other greasy food! There are probably millions of teenagers who are staying away from these foods unnecessarily. While it is not good for your health to eat lots of greasy food or to stuff yourself with chocolate it is not going to affect your acne. There are lots of acne myths about, it is a favorite subject to make up all sorts of nonsense to tell people who are distressed with the condition and willing to try anything to make it better. Let's try to dispel these inaccuracies and to see what you should do to really help to improve the condition of your skin.

Myth No 1 Chocolate Causes Acne

It has been shown in many trials that eating chocolate has no effect on acne whatsoever. So go ahead and eat chocolate occasionally without feeling guilty. You may have to bite your tongue when well-meaning people tell you off for doing so! This also applies to greasy foods. The grease in foods is not going to migrate somehow to your skin and cause your sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.

Myth No 2 Dirt Causes Acne

Believing in this myth causes a lot of problems as people think that the more often, and the more vigorously they wash their face the better their acne will be. This is the complete opposite of what is actually true as washing your face too often and too vigorously will only cause more irritation and spread around the bacteria that causes the acne.

Myth No 3 Stress Causes Acne

Stress is not the cause of acne but there is some truth in this myth as stress can actually make acne worse. Stress causes the production of more cortisol which triggers the production of more oil from the sebaceous glands. Responses to increased stress vary considerably between different people so one person may have an increase in flareups after stress while others will have no problems at all. Stress does not always mean negative stresses but can be triggered by positive stresses, for instance anticipation of an exciting event. This can cause a flareup of your acne just when you do not need it and when you want to look your best.

Myth No 4 The Sun Can Cure Acne

This is a dangerous myth as excessive exposure to the sun causes skin damage. It may have arisen because the reddening of the skin after exposure to the sun can mask pimples etc. so they don't look as bad. This is only temporary however and it is not good to burn your skin is way. Exposure to the sun can irritate the skin even further and make the acne worse.

Myth No 5 Too Much Sex Causes Acne

This myth may have arisen as acne is caused by surging hormones during the teenage years. However there is no evidence at all that too much, or too little sex has any effect on acne. One wonders if this has been promoted by parents in an effort to curb their teenagers habits!

Myth No 6 Acne Should Be left To Go Away on Its Own

This is also a dangerous myth as acne needs to be treated, especially if it is severe. Leaving it can not only cause pain and embarrassment to the sufferer but long-term scarring of the skin. Although most people do grow out of acne once they're in their early 20's it can persist through the 20's even into the 30's. It is essential to get treatment as early as possible.

The Reality

Acne cannot be cured and, as we said, usually goes away on its own when the hormones begin to balance out after the teenage years. However there are many things you can do to treat your acne and prevent flareups and long term damage.

1. Gently wash your skin, twice a day only, with a sulfur based soap and a soft wash cloth or your hands. If you do use a washcloth make sure you boil it every day to kill the bacteria which can be transferred back to your skin.

2. Change your pillow case at least every other day as the oil and bacteria accumulating on a given night can be transferred back to your face and cause more problems.

3. Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins A, B and C and the minerals chromium and zinc. You could also take a good multivitamin containing these minerals twice a day. Do not pick or interfere with pimples, whiteheads or blackheads as this will only spread the bacteria around and cause more breakouts.

4. Use gentle cleansers and light, oil free makeup. If you have mild to moderate acne find a natural acne remedy that you can use regularly and is effective on your skin. You could try tea tree oil which has been shown to be effective and gentle on sensitive skin.

Conclusion

Do not listen to the myths about acne but use a sensible routine to clean your skin, have a healthy lifestyle and consult a dermatologist or your doctor if your acne is very severe.

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