Acne: Facts vs. Anecdotes

Ask several people questions referring to the causes and treatment of acne, and chances are youll get very different answers. How come? Well, it sometimes happens that people say more than they know about various things - and this is how myths come to arise. While anecdotal explanations and cures may be interesting to talk about, you should think twice before actually believing and applying them. Lets have a brief look at the myths around acne.

One such myth is that the occurrence and worsening of acne is linked with junk food consumption. Its true that such foods as chips, pizza, chocolate and various soft drinks may not be the healthiest nutritional choice; nevertheless, we cannot blame them for every harm that can happen to our body. There is even scientific evidence contradicting the popular beliefs regarding chocolate, as it is proven that its high antioxidant content can help control acne; moreover, chocolate can even be good for preventing acne, due to the fact that it stimulates the production of the chemical serotonin.

It is also a generally held belief that a clean skin is a shield against acne - in fact, most people with acne develop an almost obsessive preoccupation with hygiene. Unfortunately, however, it doesn't help much. Too much washing can even be a bad idea, as it may irritate the skin, not to mention that you risk spreading the infection.

Lying in the sun is also often credited as a means to cure acne. Wouldnt it be nice to relax, get tanned and get rid of acne at the same time? It certainly would, but unfortunately it doesnt work that way. In addition to the well-known issues related with UV-exposure, sweat and sebum release can be stimulated by sun exposure, which will make the problem worse.

But acne might be less of a problem than we generally believe. Unaesthetic as it may be, it is not a skin disorder. Most of the times, it will disappear without any treatment in a couple of days. If you absolutely want to treat it somehow, the best thing you can do is to talk with your doctor about cortisone injection, which can help reduce the inflammation and improve the aspect of your skin.

There are many other false beliefs regarding acne. Even sex life is often seen as having some influence on it, but there is, in fact, no connection. As for the hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy, they may indeed cause acne, but this is only a temporary condition. The reported connection between stress and acne is not entirely untrue, but then we are talking about a really high level of stress.

Remember, therefore, that you should not always believe in myths. Instead, if you really want to do something about acne and cant wait till it disappears naturally, your doctor is the only person who can give you trustworthy advice.

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