Myths About Acne

Unfortunately, even with the internet and with the updated information available, there are certain myths about acne that persist.  When I was a teenager, I wasn't allowed to eat chocolate because it "caused" pimples.  I loved chocolate, I couldn't eat it, but I still got acne.  My mother said it was because I was a teenager and all teenagers had it. They were pieces of wisdom passed down from mother to daughter and both of them are not true.

Today, we'll look at these and other myths regarding acne.  First of all, my mother was wrong when she said only teenagers get acne. It has been found that 85% of teenagers do break out so that may be why this myth evolved. Some people never get acne until they are into their twenties and thirties. Actually, anyone of any age can break out and they've found that about 30% of adults both men and women have some form of acne.

Another myth is that you get acne if your face is dirty or you have poor hygiene.  It has been found that you are more likely to make acne worse by washing it too often or even scrubbing your face.  It has been determined that you shouldn't wash your face more than twice a day at the most and always make sure the cleaning is gentle.

Of course there is the one where you are told that chocolate and greasy foods like pizza, cheeseburgers, and fries but again this isn't true. None of the research done has found this one to be true. This means you can eat what you want but you might want to keep the amount down for other reasons such as better health.

It is said that stress can give you acne but again, this is not true. However, it can make any acne worse due to the release of certain hormones which causes the release of certain proteins.  One way to help avoid this is to practice stress relief such as regular exercising or some sort of meditation.  

Do you remember being told to pop your pimples so they'd go away sooner?  You aren't supposed to because when you pop them, you expose the open pore to the possibility of more bacteria which can make it worse and you might end up with scars.  

You might have heard that getting a tan outside in the sun or by using a tanning bed will help get rid of your acne.  It feels great, feels like it is drying your face out but it really doesn't help.  This is another item that can make your acne worse.  

These are all myths and most of them will make your acne worse. So make sure you don't do any of the above and share the information so others don't make it worse.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great weekend.