Acne Myths Revealed

Acne was the bane of my teenage years. It caused me no end of shame and mortification. How could such a little bump do so much to destroy my self-esteem and wreck havoc on my life?

I now realize that everyone gets acne. No one is spared. It crosses all geographic, racial, religious, gender, and political boundaries. For some, it happens and is over quick. For others, it seems to last for their entire young adult life.

It’s universal. It’s a right of passage into adulthood. And the one thing everyone can relate to is that they hate it.

Acne, pimple, zit – it has many name, but what is it exactly?

Acne is the result of hormones acting on oil glands located in the skin. This condition leads to clogged pores and an outbreak of lesions – pimples. It can occur just about anywhere on the body, but is most commonly found on the fact, neck, back, shoulders, and chest where sebaceous glands are abundant.

The sebaceous glands secrete an oily substance that protects the skin and hair. When these glands become blocked it can result in acne. So the big question is: What causes these sebaceous glands to become blocked?

If we can figure out the answer to this question, we’ll understand how to prevent acne.

Unfortunately, the direct cause of acne cannot really be determined. In the absence of real information, plenty of misinformation has been spread. Everyone seems to think they know why acne happens.

These are what I call the myths of acne.

“Acne is caused by not washing your face”

Some parents will tell you that acne is caused by not washing your face enough – or not scrubbing hard enough. I supposed this is an effort to make kids clean up more often.

It actually makes sense. If acne is caused by clogged pores, then dirt and dust on the face contribute to the blockage. Parents using this logic encourage their children to wash their faces three or four times a day. Unfortunately, this may be doing more harm than good.

Excessive washing and scrubbing can actually damage and irritate your skin. Don’t wash your face more than twice a day. Don’t scrub so hard that you remove the skin’s natural oils. This will result in dry skin. Use a gentle facial scrub and be soft on your face.

“Eating fried foods causes acne”

All parents would like to see their children eat healthier, but an improper diet – like French fries, junk food, and chocolate, don’t cause acne. There has not been any scientific proof that links an unhealthy diet with acne. Food is not the culprit.

Don’t run out and invest in your favorite junk food. It’s still important to eat healthy. You’ll have more energy and you’ll just feel better about yourself.

“Acne is caused by stress”

If this were true, there’d be a lot more adults with chronic acne. Stress is a natural, if unwelcome, part of our lives, but it’s not a contributing factor to pimples.

Acne may be a side effect of certain prescription drugs used to treat stress but it’s certainly not the direct result.

While we don’t know the exact cause of acne, we can eliminate some of the more common myths associate with the horror of our teenage lives. Unfortunately, it’s harder to eliminate the acne itself. Take some comfort in the fact that everyone goes through the same battle. You are not alone.