Have you been told one thing about your acne only to later on find out that the opposite is true. It’s not so much that it’s a lie, but rather, it’s just part of the growth cycle – example – The medical field knows more now than they did 20 years ago. It’s just part of the learning path. As scientists learn more and make new discoveries it may take awhile before you find out about it. This goes true for acne as well.

You have an acne skin condition now and you want to get rid of it now…right? You don’t want to keep doing the things that make your acne worse when it’s discovered later on how bad it is for you. But alas, many lies, or rather – myths about acne continue to circulate and endure.

Having a better understanding of how acne works will go a long way in helping you deal with it. The best way is to know what the:

10 Myths About Acne You Thought Were True

Myth #1: Your Acne only affects how you look.

Your acne problem can go beyond your face. It can affect your mind as well as social life. Deep psychological stress can occur which can only make your acne get worse. Your sense of self-esteem can be affected which can lead to depression. There is a strong link between severe acne and social withdrawal, and everyone wants to be accepted.

Myth #2: Acne is caused by poor hygiene

We all have habits that we know are not good for us. If you eat unhealthy foods, you’re going to have an unhealthy body. Yes, your face really is a part of your body. But bad habits not only affect your body internally, but externally as well. Proper hygiene with proper cleaning techniques will go a long way in keeping your acne at bay.

Cleansing your face and/or other body parts gently with soap and water once or twice daily will keep your skin as healthy as it can be. The key here is to cleanse “gently”. Scrubbing too hard may worsen your acne.

NOTE: – While skin infections are associated with acne, being a slob and not cleaning your self as much as you should is, in itself, not the reason for your acne outbreaks. The combination of oil and dead cells which produce acne is located beneath the skin’s surface where it is impossible to clean it away. 

Myth #3: Acne is caused by specific foods

In the above myth, I implied how how unhealthy junk food can also affect the health of your body as well as the severity of your acne. This next myth may seem to contradict that statement.

It seems that studies have shown no scientific evidence that some junk food will make your acne worse. Foods like potato chips, chocolate and other sweets have not been found to actually affect how bad your acne will be. However, one thing I have learned is that many scientific findings that were once “true” have subsequently been found to be “false”.

There also seems to be a bit of confusion about drinking milk. For some people, milk makes acne breakouts to be worse, whereas for other people drinking milk seems to lessen acne problems. This actually makes sense, because each one of us has different tolerance levels for different foods.

Myth #4: Acne has to run its course

Don’t stand for it. There are many things you can do to stop acne. It may not happen right away, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it. You can find

There are many treatments for acne that you can get by going to your doctor or dermatologist. Many over-the-counter drugs and treatment options are also available online and offline. Some of these products you can find on this site.

Myth #5: The more acne medicine you use the better it will be

This is certainly one case where “Less is NOT more.” Not only can taking too much acne medication, like prescription acne ointments, be dangerous for you but it can also make your acne worse than it already is.

You may be better off just cleaning your affected area with clean water and regular hand soap a couple times a day, and then just leave it alone and let it heal by itself…slowly. As they say – “time heals all wounds”.

Some people believe that if their acne gets worse they should just use more medicine. That’s a bad idea because medicines can be dangerous when taken in large quantities. Excess use of acne ointments may just irritate the skin further.

Myth #6: Sunbathing is good for acne

Our sun is the essence of life. Without the sun, we don’t exist. How much sun you get as well as the type of skin you have can determine how bad your acne skin condition will be. On the surface, sun exposure can dry you you. It can dry too much oils that your skin needs. If you stay in the sun too long, not only can it damage your skin by giving you a sunburn, but your risk of developing skin cancer also increases.

But your skin does adapt and your acne can subside. The trick is to sunbathe properly. Here’s what I do as often as possible.

The fairer your skin, the less time you need to spend in the sun to reap its benefits in terms of vitamin D absorption. For me, 30 minutes a day is all I need. This is enough time for my skin to adapt without overwhelming it. Someone from South Africa may need more exposure because the sun’s beneficial rays can not penetrate the skin as easily as for a white person.

Another tip is to eat vitamin C laden fruits. Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant that will fight free radicals that can damage your skin due to suntanning. In fact there are many people with fair skin who can spend hours in the sun without sunburning and all because they eat lots of fruits and vegetables that gives them the nutrients they need to help keep their skin healthy.

Myth #7: Makeup causes acne

I’m not exactly a proponent of putting anything on my skin believing in the fact that “less is more”. However, this may not be preferable for many people due to social tendencies. Girls put on makeup to make themselves look pretty and to attract “other” people.

To address this, cosmetic manufacturers have developed products that are labeled “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic” are safe to use. Many other products made for the skin can blog your pores which can make your acne worse. Some brands are made with ingredients that will actually treat your acne.

Myth #8: Acne is only a teenage condition

Are you a teenager? Do you still think that only teenagers get acne? Well, you’d be wrong. Not only do adults get acne but babies as well. No one is immune to this skin affliction. Generally speaking, many people develop acne in their early teen years only to have it clear up before they turn 21. That was my case as well. But it doesn’t happen to everyone.

There are still people that experience acne for their first time when they’re older. I know a guy who developed acne after he turned 45 years old. He’s still baffled by it as he always had clear skin. But even worse, there are also people that develop acne when they are young and suffer with it their entire lives.

Myth #9: Acne and sex are bad for you

Please, please, tell me this ain’t true.

Well, to tell you the truth, there has been no scientific evidence for this…and I hope there never is. Many of us have heard stories of how having too much sex can give you pimples, but again, this has never been proven.

Sexual activity and hormone production does have a link discovered through scientific findings, but the relationship between sex and the production of sebum (the oily substance which combines with dead skin cells which cause your acne) is not known. On a side note, stress and anger can also affect your hormone levels.

Myth #10: Popping pimples is the best way to get rid of them

I hope you’re not a pimple popper. Popping your pimples will not get rid of them. All you’re really doing is just spreading the acne causing bacteria around making it worse.

This is also one bad habit that you need to stop because if you don’t, popping your pimples can lead to acne scarring. Once you have acne scars, you may have a harder time to get rid of your acne and you may end up having scars permanently. In this case, surgery may be your only option.

There is much information on the Internet that you could search that may help you deal with your acne more effectively. You just have to find the right information. I hope these 10 myths about acne showed you the truth at least to the extent that you will look into it further. After all, it’s your acne and it’s your health.

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