Reality: Prevailing wisdom in the
dermatology community is that diet and acne are not
related. Of course science is never a 100% reliable
enterprise. But at this time, there is no evidence that
chocolate, sugar, oil, milk, seafood, or any other food
causes acne. Some people absolutely insist that a certain
food causes acne for them. In this case, doctors sometimes
recommend that they avoid that food.
Myth: Washing your face
more often will help clear up acne
Reality: Acne is not caused by dirt.
Contrary to what you may have seen in commercials, pores
do not get blocked from the top down. Rather, an entire
pore collapses from deep within the skin, starting acne
formation. Frequent washing does nothing to prevent
this. Over-washing is actually irritating, and excess
irritation can worsen acne. A washcloth can aggravate
this situation further. Use bare hands to wash and only
wash twice a day.
Myth: Stress causes
acne
Reality: Stress is not a very important
factor in acne despite what you may have heard. Drugs
that treat severe stress may have acne as a side effect,
but stress itself is no big deal. Your time is better
spent determining the right course of acne treatment
rather than feeling guilt about stress.
Myth: Masturbation or
sex causes acne
Reality: This antiquated notion, originating
as early as the 17th century to dissuade young people
from having premarital sex, is just plain wrong. Don't
believe the hype.
Myth: The sun is good
for acne
Reality: The sun may work in the short-term
to hasten the clearing of existing acne while reddening
your skin, thus blending your skin tone with red acne
marks. However, a sun tan is actually skin damage. Sun
exposure causes irritation which can make acne worse.
The sun is a short-term band-aid which will often bite
back with more acne in the weeks following exposure.
Myth #1:
Acne is caused by poor hygiene. If you believe this
myth, and wash your skin hard and frequently, you can
actually make your acne worse. Acne is not caused by
dirt or surface skin oils. Although excess oils, dead
skin and a day's accumulation of dust on the skin looks
unsightly, they should not be removed by hand scrubbing.
Vigorous washing and scrubbing will actually irritate
the skin and make acne worse. The best approach to hygiene
and acne: Gently wash your face twice a day with a mild
soap, pat dry--and use an appropriate acne treatment
for the acne.
Myth #2:
Acne is caused by diet. Extensive scientific studies
have not found a connection between diet and acne. In
other words, food does not cause acne. Not chocolate.
Not french fries. Not pizza. Nonetheless, some people
insist that certain foods affect their acne. In that
case, avoid those foods. Besides, eating a balanced
diet always makes sense. However, according to the scientific
evidence, if acne is being treated properly, there's
no need to worry about food affecting the acne.
Myth #3:
Acne is caused by stress. The ordinary stress of day-to-day
living is not an important factor in acne. Severe stress
that needs medical attention is sometimes treated with
drugs that can cause acne as a side effect. If you think
you may have acne related to a drug prescribed for stress
or depression, you should consult your physician.
Myth #4:
Acne is just a cosmetic disease. Yes, acne does affect
the way people look and is not otherwise a serious threat
to a person’s physical health. However, acne can
result in permanent physical scars--plus, acne itself
as well as its scars can affect the way people feel
about themselves to the point of affecting their lives.
Myth #5:
You just have to let acne run its course. The truth
is, acne can be cleared up. If the acne products you
have tried haven’t worked, consider seeing a dermatologist.
With the products available today, there is no reason
why someone has to endure acne or get acne scars.
