Acne myths and misconceptions

Acne is caused by diet.

So far, studies have found no relation between food and acne, be it chocolate, sugar or fried food. Some experts argue that certain indigenous populations do not develop acne, which may be related to their diet. However, other factors, such as genetics, may explain this observation. Of course, if you think some foods exacerbate your acne, you may just as well avoid them. Healthy diet has benefits whether it prevents acne or not.

Acne is caused by poor hygiene.

Many people believe that comedones are caused by dirt accumulating in pores. This is incorrect. Pores are blocked by oil secreted by sebacious glands inside the pore as well as skin dead cells and bacterial by-products inside the pore. Since washing does not clean the insides of the pore, it cannot, by itself, prevent acne.

Acne is caused by stress.

The relationship between stress and acne, if any, is complex. Acne increases production of some adrenal, hypothalamic and pituitary hormones, which may contribute to acne. On the other hand, in men, stress may reduce production of androgens (male hormones) by the testes and thus mitigate acne. Presumably, for some people the net result of these effects may be exacerbation of acne. In reality, typical day-to-day stresses are not intense enough to produce major shifts in the body's hormonal balance. Unless stress is unusually severe, it is unlikely to be among the top factors contributing to acne in most people.

Acne is caused by sex related behaviors.

There is no evidence that frequency of sex, masturbation or other aspects of sexual behavior have any impact on acne.

Sunlight is a good acne treatment.

UV rays, which are part of sunlight, kill bacteria, including acne-causing P. acnes, and may temporarily reduce acne outbreaks. However, UV rays harm skin cells as much as they harm bacteria, causing long-term skin damage and accelerating skin aging. Besides, if you have dark skin or develop tan, sunlight becomes less effective in killing bacteria in the pores because dark pigment reduces its penetration. Overall, the drawbacks of sunlight as acne treatment far outweigh its benefits.

Acne will clear on its own once a person reaches adulthood.

Sometimes this is true. However, in many cases acne persists as late as the middle age. Yet adult acne tends to be less severe than teenage acne.