Acne Myths Exposed
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 cheeseburgers and chocolate or drinking excessive soft drinks and getting spots. What is true is that food plays an important role in the way the body functions and so it does have a small part in whether developing 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 chances of developing an acne spot are increased when a pore becomes plugged and bacteria get trapped inside. This means that hygiene habits that tend to close the skin’s pores can play a role. However this effect is only very small and the bacteria and dead cell skins that become trapped and are unable to make their way out of the pore are influenced only to a small degree by an absence of regular face washing.
But, after acne occurs good skin hygiene is especially important and mild cleansing two times each day with soap and water helps in treating acne and encouraging healthy skin in general. Good hygiene is a good idea for a number of reasons but it is most helpful in treating acne because it provides a good surface allowing medications to work most effectively.
Spots are strongly influenced by excess skin oil (sebum) production which is triggered principally by hormones and harsh cleansers which are applied roughly do not merely clear away any excess oil but also weakens the the ability of the skin to cope with it.
Stress
As stress tends to weaken the body’s immune system and also influence its hormone levels it may be thought that stress would play a role in the onset of acne. However, there is no evidence that stress causes acne, although there is some evidence to suggest that it might play a minor role after acne has developed.
One difficulty with assessing the role played by stress is that people who suffer from chronic stress normally also suffer from additional health problems which complicate the picture. Do not forget also that here we are talking about clinical stress and not just the worries which we all experience as part of the ups and downs of day to day life.
Medications
Many us are tempted to raise the dosage of an over-the-counter medication believing that if a little can do a bit of good a lot of medicine will do a lot of good. Unhappily, this is not so and it is both a waste of medication and could actually harm the skin. You should always follow the instructions on any medication and if an over-the-counter medication is not showing signs of working within a reasonable period of time then it is a good idea to consult a dermatologist.