Expose The Myths Which Surround Acne

As with many conditions there is a lot of information out there about acne and its causes and that information tends to be a mixture of both fiction and fact. Accordingly, let us look at some of those things that are being said and see if we can divide the fact from the fiction.

Diet

First of all there is no direct connection between eating such things as greasy hamburgers and chocolate or drinking too many soft drinks and developing acne spots. It is the case however that diet plays an important role in the way the body functions and therefore it does have a minor role to play in whether acne is more or less likely.

For example, greasy foods do not directly convert into rising oil production within the sebaceous glands that contributes to acne, but foods that do contribute to an increase in oil production would of course have an effect. However, iodized salt is as yet the only food substance that has been shown to have any real effect and it just worsens acne but does not cause it.

Cleanliness

The odds of developing a pimple are increased when a pore gets plugged and bacteria get trapped inside. This means that hygiene habits which tend to close the pores can play a role. However this effect is only small and the bacteria and dead cell skins which become trapped and are unable to work their way out of the pore are influenced only to a small degree by insufficient regular face washing.

Nevertheless, after acne occurs good skin hygiene is especially important and mild cleansing two times a day with soap and water can help in treating acne and encouraging healthy skin in general. Cleanliness is an excellent for several reasons although it is most helpful in treating acne by providing a good surface allowing medications to do their work most effectively.

Acne spots are greatly influenced by excess skin oil (sebum) production that is triggered in the main by hormones and abrasive cleansers that are applied roughly do not just clear away this excess oil but also damages the the ability of the skin to cope with it.

Stress

Because stress has a tendency to weaken the body’s immune system and also influence its level of hormones it could be thought that stress should play a part in the onset of acne. However, there is no clear evidence that stress causes acne, although there is some evidence to suggest that it could play a small role once acne has arrived.

One of the problems in assessing the role of stress is that people who are suffering from chronic stress normally also suffer from additional health problems that complicate the picture. Do not forget also that here we are talking about clinical stress and not simply the worries that we all experience as part of the ups and downs of day to day living.

Medications

A lot of us are tempted to raise the dosage of an over-the-counter medication in the belief that if a little can do a bit of good a lot will do a lot of good. Unfortunately, this is not so and it is both a waste of medication and might actually harm the skin. Always follow the instructions on any medication and if an over-the-counter medication does not show signs of working within a reasonable period of time then it is a good idea to talk to a dermatologist.