Expose The Myths That Surround Acne

There is a great deal of information available about acne and what causes it and that information is a mix of both fact and fiction. So, let us take a look at a few of those things that are being said and see if we can separate the fiction from the fact.

Food

There is no direct connection between eating things like greasy cheeseburgers and chocolate or drinking excessive soft drinks and getting spots. It is the case however that what we eat plays an important role in the way the body functions and thus it does have a minor role to play in whether acne is more or less likely.

For example, greasy foods do not directly convert into increased oil production within the sebaceous glands which contributes to acne, but foods which do increase oil production would of course have an effect. However, iodized salt is as yet the only food substance that has been shown to have any substantial effect and it just exacerbates acne but does not cause it.

Cleanliness

The odds of developing a spot rise when a pore becomes blocked and bacteria get trapped inside. This means that hygiene habits that tend to close the pores can play a role. However this effect is only minimal and the dead skin cells and bacteria that become trapped and are unable to work their way out of the pore to the surface are influenced only to a small degree by an absence of regular face washing.

Nonetheless, after acne arrives then good skin hygiene is particularly important and mild cleansing two times a day with soap and water will help in treating acne and encouraging healthy skin in general. Cleanliness is a good idea for many reasons although it is most helpful in treating acne because it provides a good surface for medications to do their work most effectively.

Acne is strongly influenced by excess sebum (skin oil) production which is triggered chiefly by hormones and harsh cleansers that are applied roughly do not merely clear away any excess oil but also damages the the ability of the skin to handle it.

Stress

As stress tends to weaken the body's immune system and impact its hormone levels it could be thought that stress should play a part in the onset of acne. However, there is no clear evidence that stress can cause acne, although there is evidence to show that it could play a minor role after acne has arrived.

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

Medications

Many people are tempted to increase the dosage of over-the-counter medications in the belief that if a little medication can do a little good a lot will do a lot of good. Unhappily, this is not the case and it both wastes medication and might actually harm the skin. Always follow the instructions on any medication and if an over-the-counter medicine does not show signs of working within two or three weeks then you should talk to a dermatologist.

It is also worth noting that there is no such thing as the best acne medicine. Each of us is different and a medication that proves to be the best acne medication for one individual will not necessarily do the trick for someone else.