Acne Myths Exposed
There is a lot of information available about acne and what causes it and this information is a mix of both fact and fiction. Thus, let us take a look at some of the things that are being said and see if we can work out the myth from the fact.
Food
There is no direct connection between eating greasy hamburgers and chocolate or drinking excessive soft drinks and developing spots. It is the case however that what we eat plays a role in the way the body functions and so it does have a small role to play in whether acne is less or more 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 odds of developing a pimple are increased when a pore gets plugged and bacteria get trapped inside. This means that hygiene habits which tend to close the pores can play a role. However this effect is only small and the bacteria and dead cell skins which become trapped and are unable to work their way out of the pore are influenced only to a small degree by insufficient regular face washing.
Nevertheless, after acne occurs good skin hygiene is especially important and mild cleansing two times a day with soap and water can help in treating acne and encouraging healthy skin in general. Cleanliness is an excellent for several reasons although it is most helpful in treating acne by providing a good surface allowing medications to do their 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
Because stress has a tendency to weaken the body’s immune system and also influence its level of hormones it could be thought that stress should play a part in the onset of acne. However, there is no clear evidence that stress causes acne, although there is some evidence to suggest that it could play a small role once acne has arrived.
One difficulty with assessing the role played by stress is that people who suffer from chronic stress generally also suffer from other health problems which complicate things. Remember too that we are talking here about clinical stress and not just the worries that 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.
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