Explode The Myths That Surround Acne
There is a great deal of information out there about acne and its causes and this information tends to be a mix of both fiction and fact. Accordingly, let us take a look at some of the things which are being said and see if we can divide the fact from the myth.
Diet
There is no direct link between eating things like greasy hamburgers and chocolate or drinking excessive soft drinks and getting acne. What is true is that food plays an important role in the way the body functions and so it does have a minor role to play in whether developing acne is more or less likely.
For example, greasy foods do not directly turn into rising oil production within the sebaceous glands which contributes to acne, although foods that do contribute to an increase in oil production would have an effect. However, iodized salt is the only food substance that has been demonstrated to have any real effect and it just exacerbates acne and does not cause it.
Hygiene
The chances of developing a spot increase when a pore becomes blocked and bacteria are trapped inside. What this means is that hygiene habits which tend to close the pores can play a role. But this effect is only minimal and the bacteria and dead cell skins which become trapped and are unable to make their way out of the pore are influenced only to a minor degree by insufficient regular face washing.
Nonetheless, after acne occurs then good skin hygiene is especially important and mild cleansing twice a day with soap and water can help in treating acne and promoting healthy skin in general. Good hygiene is a good idea for a number of reasons although it helps most in treating acne by providing a good surface allowing medications to work most efficiently.
Pimples are strongly influenced by excess skin oil (sebum) production that is triggered chiefly by hormones and harsh cleansers applied roughly do not only clear away any excess oil but also weakens the the ability of the skin to deal with it.
Stress
As stress has a tendency to weaken the body's immune system and influence its level of hormones it could be thought that stress would play a role in the onset of acne. However, there is no evidence to suggest that stress can cause acne, although there is evidence to suggest that it may play a small role after acne has arrived.
One difficulty in assessing the role played by stress is that people who suffer from chronic stress normally also suffer from additional health problems that can complicate things. Do not forget also 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 everyday life.
Medicine
Many people are tempted to increase the dosage of over-the-counter medications believing that if a little does a little bit of good then a lot of medicine will do a lot of good. Unhappily, this is not so and it is both a waste of medicine and can actually damage the skin. Always stick to the instructions on any acne medication and if any medicine does not show signs of working within two or three weeks then it is a good idea to seek the guidance of your dermatologist.
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