Common Acne Myths
Does junk food lead to acne? How often should you really wash your face? These are the most common myths about acne debunked.
Severe acne can have a significant impact on one’s life, as well as with social relationships. It can affect a person’s self confidence and self-esteem, which can lead to depression in time. This is particularly true of teenagers and young adults.
Acne can cause social phobia, fear of being mocked by others, unwillingness to establish relationships, disabling shyness, problems succeeding in tasks or in careers, missed school or work, poor self esteem and body image and reluctance to develop social skills especially in teens and young adults.
Myth: Popping acne will make it disappear faster than acne treatments
This myth is a popular belief. This is a top reason why most teens think it is fine to squeeze acne in an effort to try open up a clogged pore. However, this is a bad option that usually leads to further inflammation. Doing so will only make the acne look worse and last longer.
Most importantly, this will leave a badly pigmented scar on the face.
What to do:
Use salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide face wash with a balanced pH. This will clear up your skin and will also shrink the acne, which will begin to disappear slowly.
Myth: Wash your face every few hours if you have facial acne
Those who believe this myth wash their face several times a day. There are also some people who even scrub their face vigorously with a face wash and using harsh astringents. Doing so will wash away all the natural oils from the skin.
In the end, it can lead to traumatized and irritated skin which will look a lot worse than before.
What to do:
Instead, wash your face once or twice a day with lukewarm water while using a mild cleanser. Wash your face in a gentle motion. Don’t scrub or use harsh abrasive products.
It is necessary to remove makeup and dirt from your face before going to bed.
Myth: Junk food is one of the leading causes of acne
A number of studies have shown that eating greasy and oily foods and junk foods like French fries, cheeseburgers, and chocolate doesn’t cause acne. However, getting that grease or oil on your skin can do so.
This will make an oily complexion worse, will clog pores, and will lead to an acne and skin breakouts.
Low glycemic index foods and foods rich in fiber like fruits and vegetables are beneficial for acne.
However, there are other foods which could be the culprit which cause your acne. A good example is milk and other dairy products. These have been associated with an increased risk of acne.
What to do:
Stick to low glycemic foods and avoid milk and other dairy products. Although junk foods and greasy foods are not the real cause of acne, it is still best to stay healthy and choose healthy foods.
Acne treatment can be managed with over the counter medications, home remedies, and help from a dermatologist, or a combination of these. The medications to be used will depend on how severe the acne is.
As mentioned, some acne treatments may involve combinations of different kinds of medication. These medications will work hand in hand to remove dead skin cells and oils that clog pores and damage the formation of cysts which is typical of severe acne.
Some treatment methods work by attacking skin overgrowths which causes acne when its growth is uncontrollable. Antibiotics, retinoids, lasers and hormone therapy are recommended depending on the person’s condition.
