subject: Acne Myths [print this page] Acne is a perpetual problem for humans all over the world. One day it appears and causes pain, humiliation and anger for the person whose face it appears on. Those little red, painful pimples that everyone notices within the first 10 seconds of seeing your face.
Acne is not bias or gender specific, it occurs through all age ranges and all cultures with no discrimination.
Acne develops because of blockages within the follicles in our skin. Once the follicle becomes blocked, the glands enlarge and become more noticeable in color and size. Acne occurs in parts of the body where there are the most follicles such as the face, chest, and back. There are several proven reasons for acne to appear. Some of the proven causes include hormonal changes and imbalances, and genetics. All other supposed causes are unjustified and have no supportive evidence. That is why acne myths are still being spread from person to person.
Acne Myth 1- Diet
For years and years, people have said that eating unhealthy junk food, fast food, pizza, French fries, chips and soda cause acne. Unfortunately for them there has not been one case that has proven this to be true. Although, this type of food in large quantities is not good for your health or your body, there are no studies that have proven it to cause or increase the severity of acne.
However by changing your diet to include fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, you can actually help reduce acne. These healthier varieties of food can actually help to improve your skin quality and eliminate unwanted pimples and blackheads. Fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals and are an excellent source of antioxidants, which can help to prevent acne. That's not so say you can't splurge every once and a while on your favorite foods like chips for pizza, just not everyday.
Acne Myth 2- Washing your Face
A breakout has occurred because you didn't wash your face, so to get rid of it, wash your face more often and harder. Incorrect. This can actually do you more harm than good. Yes it is important for you skin to wash your face daily, however 4 or 5 times a day is way too much. Washing your face daily gets rid of dirt, sweat, dead skin cells, and excess oil. However, our body produces its own natural skin oils to lubricate and protect our skin. By washing our faces too often, we remove this oil and leave our skin dry. Plus washing our face too vigorously can actually cause irritation, inflammation and redness. If acne is already present and you scrub it you can actually make it worse. Washing your face should be done twice a day and as gentle as possible, followed by patting the skin dry.
Acne Myth 3-Pop your pimples to make them go away
The first reaction to a pimple is to pop it. Our reasoning, if we pop the pimple it will go away quicker. This thinking is completely wrong. In actuality by popping a pimple you push the bacteria from the pimple further into the skin, making the area around the acne more inflamed and allowing the pimple to stay on your face a lot longer. By popping the pimples you can cause scaring that will stay on your face forever. Avoid popping pimples whenever possible.
Acne Myth 4- Stress
Stress brings on acne. The more stressed you are the more acne breakouts you will have. There has been no proof that this is true. Stress has adverse reactions in the body. Immediate signs of stress include fatigue, muscle aches, cramps, additional symptoms include inability to think, work, sleep, or eat. Some people are unaffected by stress. When stress is present the body reacts by producing adrenaline and everyone reacts differently to adrenaline in the blood stream. Acne may occur as a side effect of increased hormones in the blood stream. Or acne may occur as a side effect to prescription medications taken for stress, but stress itself doesn't cause the body to breakout with acne.
