The Truth Behind The Most Popular Teenage Acne Myths

Being a teenager isn't always easy, and it can be made a lot more complicated if you suffer from acne. It seems like everyone you talk to has a favorite story about what causes acne, or how to get rid of it. The trouble is, how do you know if what people are telling you is correct? Unfortunately there are loads of myths surrounding acne, and they get repeated endlessly despite the fact that they're not true.

So what are some of the most popular acne myths? Well, the idea that eating chocolate and fatty foods gives you acne is one of the most popular myths. In fact, studies have shown that the only food you can eat that will aggravate acne is iodized salt. Although eating a healthy diet may help to keep your body functioning well, it's not going to stop you getting acne. It's possible, however, that if you get an outbreak of acne whenever you eat a particular type of food, that you in fact have a food allergy. In that case, discuss it with your health professional.

Another myth is that only teenagers get acne. Did you know that infants can get acne? And also five percent of women who are over 40 still get acne, because it's triggered by their monthly cycle. They will continue to get it until they reach menopause. Even one percent of men still get acne at the same age.

Perhaps you've been told that if you just improve your hygiene, your acne will go away. Again, this is a myth. In fact, washing your face too much is likely to aggravate the blemishes, and may even make the outbreak worse. The bottom line is that it's the overproduction of body oils that clogs the pores and causes acne, and constant washing can't change that. Another myth is that getting out in the sun helps to dry out the excess oils, but that's wrong as well. All you're going to do is risk getting sunburnt, premature aging and maybe even skin cancer when you're older.

Medications such as antibiotics are often used to clear up acne outbreaks, and very often are effective. Some people say that once the acne is gone you can stop taking the medication. In fact, this is not a good idea. Just because the blemishes have cleared up, doesn't mean the bacteria that caused them have gone too. They may have only gone into remission temporarily. So you may find if you stop taking the medication the acne will reappear within days. Only cease the medication once your doctor advises you to do so.

Of course, some myths are good for a laugh, if nothing else. My favorite is the suggestion that sex causes acne. If it did, we'd have lots more adults with pimples! The idea that stress causes acne is another myth, although it's likely that stress can aggravate an existing acne condition. One of the silliest myths is the suggestion that the best thing is just to leave it alone, and it'll go away. Well, it's certainly true that you shouldn't touch, pop or squeeze pimples, because you spread the bacteria and make the acne worse, but there are other things you can do that will reduce the severity of the outbreak. There's no miracle cure, but you should certainly do anything you can to help the situation.