Acne Myths and Facts

Acne is the most common skin disease world wide. There are many studies are taken to know causes and treatments for this skin disorder. But still there are many myths prevelent about acne worldover. These myths can create problems and discomfort for the people suffering from persistent acne.

Acne myth 1: Acne is caused by dirt.

This is not true. Acne is formed when excess sebum gets mixed with dead skin cells which plug the skin pores. Dirt is not a cause of the acne; over washing of face will not improve the acne condition instead it will make it worse. It will strip the pores of natural oils and stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

Acne Myth2: Acne is only for adolescence and it will clear out as you grow.

This is quite misleading myth. It makes teenager ignorant about the problem and they do not take any treatment for the acne; they wait for them to clear up automatically.

Teenagers often tend to lose their self esteem due to ugly sight of acne on their face. And then when they grow up as adult and still have acne, they feel embarrassed about acne. They might think why do they still have acne? Acne can attack at any stage of life. Good news is that acne is treatable, though duration and course of treatment is quite different for each individual.

Acne Myth 3: Acne is just a cosmetic, superficial condition.

Though acne affects the looks of the people but it is does not cause any threat to physical health of the person. Psychologically, it is a very depressing situation to have bumps on the face; it lowers the self esteem of the person. Even after it is healed, acne leaves physical and emotional scars which are sometimes difficult to clear away. Do not take it as a small problem as somebody may say. Always seek proper treatment to cure acnes.

Acne Myth 4: Acne is caused by certain foods.

The fact is having those fried and oily food, now and then, do not cause acne. Pizza, burgers, chocolates, French fries or aerated drinks, which you like to indulge but do not take for the fear of acne, are not linked with acne formation according to studies taken. But at the same time, do not just binge on this stuff, take a wholesome healthy diet to combat acne and keep the skin healthy.

Acne Myth 5: Skin can be cleaned of acne by scrubbing and toning:

This is not true at all. In fact exfoliating the acne ridden skin with harsh exfoliators will cause more infection and break out due to tearing of skin by rough particles. And if you use alcohol based toner, they will strip the skin off the natural oils and make it dry and it will stimulate sebaceous glands to produce more oil. You should use mild medicated scrub and gentle toner.

Acne Myth 6: Acne is the outcome of Make-up

Makeup does not cause acne and especially if you go for non-comedogenic makeup which does not clog pores. Always choose the water-based and fragrance less makeup. But never go to bed with makeup on and also remove makeup before any workout as it will enter the pores with sweat to clog the pores. This is the reason people think that makeup cause acne.

Acne Myth 7: Acne can be treated with sun exposure.

In the initial stages, minimal exposure to sun rays may be a bit beneficial to improve the appearance of acne but later excessive sun exposure will make the skin dry and flaky. It will increase dead skin cells which will lead to more clogged pores. Rather than improving the acne, sun exposure can lead to skin cancer and premature aging.

Acne Myth 8: Stress Causes acne.

Stress do not cause break out of acne but yes, it do aggravate the acne condition. Stress increases the production of cortisol, a steroid which stimulates sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. This sebum production causes the increase in acne infection.

Acne Myth 9: Acne is curable.

This is the biggest myth which is claimed by many cosmetic companies to promote their products. There is no cure for acne but the truth is it is treatable successfully. The most right approach to treat acne is to prevent blemishes appear at first hand. If you see start of break outs, just consult a dermatologist to have his advice. You should follow your treatment approach even if you have clear skin.