Mythbusting Acne - By: Micheline Moreaux

Acne is one of the most common skin disorders in the United States, affecting nearly 85 percent of all people. While the variety of effective acne treatments continues to grow, so does the number of myths about how to control the condition.

Have you ever washed your face more than twice a day to clear up your skin? Do you avoid chocolate and oily foods hoping that when you look in the mirror, you won’t see another pimple? Have you ever drank more water, or avoided or increased your exercise to prevent acne flare-ups? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you’re not alone!

Although new acne treatments are developed every day, a cure for acne has not yet been discovered. As a result, many people choose to self-treat or experiment with unconventional treatments.

Here are ten common myths about acne along with the truth about each myth:

1: Facials work in targeting acne and removing acne scars.

Regular salon treatment helps by controlling sebum production, healing existing acne scars and minimizing pores. For mild acne, facials do help, depending on what the beauty salons do. For instance, microdermabrasion and mild chemical peels can help unclog pores. Depressed scars, however, are harder to improve and require strong laser treatments done by a physician. Extraction should be reserved only for comedones (blackheads and whiteheads).

2: Blotting frequently worsen acne as it causes more oils to be produced in the skin.

Whether you blot or not, the body will still produce oils in the skin. It's not scientifically proven that blotting frequently encourages more oil to be produced.

3: Pimples, blackheads and whiteheads should be extracted.

Extracting pimples is definitely not recommended as the pressure applied to the skin may increase inflammation to other areas of the skin. You can extract blackheads using a blackhead extractor but you have to be sure the extractor is placed at a 90 degree angle to the skin surface.

4: Washing your face more often gets rid of acne.

It depends on what you use. If you have a lot of whiteheads and blackheads, choose something which contains alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). If you have inflamed acne with bumpy skin, use a cleanser which can kill bacteria. Washing twice a day is more than enough. Over-washing in fact can worsen acne.

5: Tanning helps clear up acne.

Tanning merely masks acne by evening out the skin color temporarily. The skin may become dry and irritated following a tan which can lead to an acne outbreak. If you go under the sun often, use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, and which is also non-comedogenic, meaning it does not tend to clog pores.

6: Eating certain foods like chocolate or peanuts can cause an acne outbreak.

Medically speaking, no, but it has been observed rare individual cases. Use the process of elimination. If you get a breakout 6 - 10 times out of 10 when eating a certain food, you can be fairly certain that particular food is a culprit and should be purged from your diet.

7: Stress causes acne.

Stress can worsen acne symptoms through increased levels of hormones which form in the adrenal glands which in turn over-stimulate the oil glands.

8: Wearing make-up aggravates acne.

If you use make-up, it is always best to stick with a non-comedogenic and established brand. It is very important to thoroughly remove make-up daily, as it can easily clog pores and don't wear it for prolonged periods. It is also recommended to use mineral-based make-up which is less comedogenic. Don't get caught up in that vicious cycle where the more acne one gets, the more one tries to cover it with make-up and the more make-up worsens the blocking of the pores.

9: Having large pores ensures you will have acne.

Large pores refer to the actual pore size and are unrelated to having pimples or acne. On the other hand, enlarged pores generally mean the person is susceptible to oily skin conditions which could possibly lead to acne outbreaks. People who have acne tend to have larger pores so the condition goes hand in hand.

10: Sex or masturbation can cause acne.

There is absolutely no data to suggest that sex or masturbation causes acne in any way, shape or form.

I hope this has shed some light on some of the old myths about acne. We here at The Aardvark's Lair offer a totally drug free, holistic approach to acne care. Using this method you can begin to relieve your acne symptoms in as little as three days. Check us out at The Aardvark's Lair.

About the Author

Micheline Moreaux's career spanned 20 years with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a specialist in skin related disorders. Her articles and products can be found at: http://www.best-biz-ops.com/

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