Acne Myths Exposed

There is a great deal of information distributed about acne and what causes it and that information is a mixture of both fact and fiction. Accordingly, let us take a look at some of those things which are being circulated and see if we can work out the fact from the myth.

Diet

There is no direct connection between eating greasy hamburgers and chocolate or drinking excessive soft drinks and developing spots. It is the case however that what we eat plays a role in the way the body functions and so it does have a small role to play in whether acne is less or more likely.

For example, greasy foods do not directly turn into increased oil production from the sebaceous glands which adds to acne, but foods which do increase the oil production would of course have an effect. However, iodized salt is as yet the only food which has been shown to have any real effect and it just worsens acne but does not cause it.

Cleanliness

The odds of developing a pimple are increased when a pore gets plugged and bacteria get trapped inside. This means that hygiene habits which tend to close the pores can play a role. However this effect is only small and the bacteria and dead cell skins which become trapped and are unable to work their way out of the pore are influenced only to a small degree by insufficient regular face washing.

Nevertheless, after acne occurs good skin hygiene is especially important and mild cleansing two times a day with soap and water can help in treating acne and encouraging healthy skin in general. Cleanliness is an excellent for several reasons although it is most helpful in treating acne by providing a good surface allowing medications to do their work most effectively.

Spots are strongly influenced by excess skin oil (sebum) production which is triggered principally by hormones and harsh cleansers which are applied roughly do not merely clear away any excess oil but also weakens the the ability of the skin to cope with it.

Stress

As stress tends to weaken the body's immune system and also influence its hormone levels it may be thought that stress would play a role in the onset of acne. However, there is no evidence that stress causes acne, although there is some evidence to suggest that it might play a minor role after acne has developed.

One difficulty with assessing the role played by stress is that people who suffer from chronic stress normally also suffer from additional health problems which complicate the picture. Do not forget also that here we are talking about clinical stress and not just the worries which we all experience as part of the ups and downs of day to day life.

Medications

Many us are tempted to raise the dosage of an over-the-counter medication believing that if a little can do a bit of good a lot of medicine will do a lot of good. Unhappily, this is not so and it is both a waste of medication and could actually harm the skin. You should always follow the instructions on any medication and if an over-the-counter medication is not showing signs of working within a reasonable period of time then it is a good idea to consult a dermatologist.

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