The general saying is that there are only two things in life you can count on: taxes and death. While this is certainly an overly pessimistic view of things, they did still leave out one virtually universal trial that almost all individuals have to go through at least one time in their lives (if not during the whole thing): acne. For those of us who remember high school, for most of us that was a constant struggle, a fight that went on and on and never seemed to stop, and maybe often seemed unwinnable. What continues to be amazing is how every generation goes through the same problems, and yet every generation often the same incorrect rumors and fallacies about acne are passed on through word of mouth all over again. It is amazing to think the same incorrect rumors about acne that were around decades ago are being passed on verbally among high school students today as unwritten law, but here are some of the most common rumors and false stories. Weeding out incorrect information is the first step to finding the right solution.
Myth #1: Acne is cause by dirtiness, therefore you should wash your face as often as possible. What word describes this accurately? Oh, yeah. Baloney. Acne is caused by hormonal imbalances that cause glands under the skin to go haywire. Therefore acne has nothing to do with dirt.
Gently washing your face twice a day is good enough. Myth #2: You need to "pop" a zit as soon as it appears. This is never a good idea. When you squeeze a zit, some of the crud that makes up a zit actually goes further into the skin, infecting the area worse. Never pop a zit.
This can even lead to scarring and blemishes. Myth #3: Junk food and pop is a huge cause of acne. There is no evidence of this. That being said, there is no evidence this is not true, and good nutrition is always a good idea for the body. There are vitamins that can help the body maintain its balance, none of which come from junk food, and for some people there may be a reaction between junk food and acne, but this is not the burnt in stone law this is often passed off as.
Myth #4: Acne should be left completely alone. While it is a bad idea to pick at it, acne treatment medicines are there for a reason, and there are plenty of products that can be purchased over the counter. Look for a product with "benzoyl peroxide," and if the ingredients give percentages, choose the product with the highest number. This will be the strongest, and therefore most likely to be effective. Myth #5: Creams should be applied over the entire face. The thought is this will prevent new outbreaks.
You should only treat the outbreaks that are there. Overuse of medication can cause your skin to become irritated and dry, which increases the chances of new outbreaks occurring all over your face. Myth #6 (The fun one): Acne is caused by too much or too little masturbation and/or sexual activity. This myth most likely survives simply because of the content. This type of activity has no relation to acne whatsoever, it is only a very popular rumor among high school and teenage students. Remember these are all myths.
Don't follow information that isn't correct, and it will be a lot easier (and quicker) to find the solution to acne you have been looking for.
Matt OConnor is a writer on Acne News Blog the complete resource for the acne sufferer
