Acne Myths
Acne is a common condition and there are many myths surrounding the causes and treatments of this condition including:
- Diet – diet doesn’t affect acne in the way most people think and sugary, greasy foods will not actually trigger acne flare ups. Instead meat and dairy products have been linked to acne as it is thought the elevated hormone levels in these products can affect our own hormone levels through ingestion, causing higher levels of those hormones that trigger sebum overproduction leading to blocked pores and spots.
- Exercise – exercise does not cause acne in itself, but you must make sure you shower and change you clothes after exercising as sweat and dirt can build up on the skin causing blocked pores.
- Poor Hygiene – acne is not directly caused by poor hygienic, but this can contribute to some of the physical and psychological symptoms, so it is important to gently cleanse affected areas once or twice a day and wash your hair and the rest of your body regularly. Over washing can actually exacerbate the symptoms of acne by causing dryness and skin irritation, so it is important to strike a balance in your hygiene regime.
- Exfoliation – contrary to popular belief exfoliating skin affected by acne will not help to lessen or prevent more spots. Although exfoliating can help to open blocked pores on regular skin, acne spots are infected with p.acnes bacteria which can actually be spread across the skin by exfoliating methods. This can also be too harsh a treatment for already sensitive skin and cause irritation, redness and inflammation.
- Acne should be left to heal naturally – acne can cause significant scarring, so if you are suffering from a break out it is important to take steps to treat the condition, to lessen the symptoms and severity of the spots and lesions. This is especially important if you are suffering from one of the more serious acne conditions such as acne conglobata, which if left untreated can develop into severe skin infections and deep tissue scarring.