Separate The Myths From The Facts About Acne

There is a lot of information distributed about acne and what causes it and this information is a mix of both fact and fiction. Thus, let us look at some of those things that are being circulated and see if we can work out the myth from the fact.

Diet

There is no direct link between eating things like chocolate or greasy cheeseburgers or drinking excessive soft drinks and developing spots. What is true is that diet plays a role in the way the body functions and so it does have a minor part in whether acne is more or less likely.

For example, eating greasy foods does not directly turn into rising oil production from the sebaceous glands that adds to acne, although foods which do increase oil production would of course have an effect. However, iodized salt is the only food substance that has been demonstrated to have any measurable effect and it simply worsens existing acne and does not cause it.

Cleanliness

The odds of developing a spot increase when a pore becomes plugged and bacteria get trapped inside. What this means is that hygiene habits which tend to close the skin's pores can play a role. However this effect is only small and the dead skin cells and bacteria that become trapped and cannot make their way out of the pore are only influenced to a small degree by an absence of regular face washing.

Nonetheless, once acne arrives 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 many reasons although it is most helpful in treating acne by providing a good surface for medications to do their work most efficiently.

Acne is greatly influenced by excess skin oil (sebum) production that is triggered principally by hormones and harsh cleansers that are applied roughly do not just clear away any excess oil but also affects the skin's ability to cope with it.

Stress

As stress has a tendency to weaken the body's immune system and influence its level of hormones it might be thought that stress would play a part in the onset of acne. However, there is no evidence to suggest that stress produces acne, but there is evidence to suggest that it might play a small role after acne has developed.

One difficulty in assessing the role played by stress is that people who suffer from chronic stress also also suffer from other health problems which can complicate things. Do not forget too that we are talking here about clinical stress and not merely the worries which we all have as part of the trials and tribulations of day to day living.

Medication

A lot of individuals are tempted to raise the dosage of an over-the-counter medication in the belief that if a little can do a little bit of good a lot of medication will do a lot of good. Unhappily, this is not the case and it is both a waste of medicine and might actually damage the skin. You should always follow the instructions on any medicine and if an over-the-counter medication is not showing signs of working within two or three weeks then it is a good idea to 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.