Explode The Myths Which Surround Acne

As with most conditions there is a great deal of information available about acne and what causes it and this information is a mix of both fiction and fact. Thus, let us take a look at a few of the things that are being circulated and see if we can work out the fact from the fiction.

Diet

First of all there is no direct link between eating such things as chocolate or greasy hamburgers or drinking too many soft drinks and developing acne. It is true however that diet plays an important role in the way the body functions and therefore it does have a minor role to play in whether acne is more or less likely.

For example, greasy foods do not directly translate into rising oil production in the sebaceous glands that contributes to acne, but foods that do cause a rise in oil production would have an effect. However, iodized salt is as yet the only food substance that has been shown to have any measurable effect and it just exacerbates existing acne and does not cause it.

Hygiene

The odds of getting an acne spot are increased when a pore becomes plugged and bacteria get trapped inside. What this means is that hygiene habits which work to close the skin's pores can play a role. But this effect is only small and the dead skin cells and bacteria which get trapped and are unable to work their way out of the pore to the surface are only influenced to a minor degree by an absence of regular face washing.

But, once acne occurs then good skin hygiene is especially important and mild cleansing twice a day with soap and water will help in treating acne and encouraging healthy skin in general. Good hygiene is a good idea for several reasons but 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 production of skin oil (sebum) which is triggered primarily by hormones and harsh cleansers that are applied roughly do not merely clear away this excess oil but also damages the skin's ability to deal with it.

Stress

Because stress tends to weaken the body's immune system and influence its hormone levels it may be thought that stress should play a part in the onset of acne. However, there is no evidence to suggest that stress causes acne, although there is evidence to suggest that it may play a small role once 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 which complicate the picture. Bear in mind also that here we are talking about clinical stress and not just the worries that we all have as part of the trials and tribulations of day to day living.

Medicines

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

It is also worthy of note that there is no such thing as the best acne medicine. We are all different and a medication which proves to be the best acne medication for one person will not necessarily do the trick for somebody else.