Explode The Myths Which Surround Acne
By Donald Saunders
As with many conditions there is a great deal of information out there about acne and what causes it and that information tends to be a mixture of both fact and fiction. Thus, let us look at a few of those things which are being said and see if we can divide the fiction from the fact.
Food
There is no direct connection between eating such things as chocolate or greasy cheeseburgers or drinking too many soft drinks and getting acne spots. It is true however that diet plays a role in the way the body functions and therefore it does have a minor role to play in whether getting acne is more or less likely.
For instance, eating greasy foods does not directly translate into increased oil production in the sebaceous glands which adds to acne, although foods which do increase the oil production would have an effect. However, iodized salt is as yet the only food which has been demonstrated to have any substantial effect and it only worsens acne and does not cause it.
Hygiene
The chances of getting a spot rise when a pore becomes blocked and bacteria are trapped inside. What this means is that hygiene habits which work to close the pores can play a role. But this effect is only very small and the dead skin cells and bacteria which get trapped and cannot make their way out of the pore are only influenced to a small degree by insufficient regular face washing.
Nevertheless, once acne arrives then good skin care is particularly important and mild cleansing two times each day with soap and water will help to treat acne and encourage healthy skin in general. Cleanliness is an excellent for many reasons although it is most helpful in treating acne because it provides a good surface allowing medications to work most effectively.
Pimples are greatly influenced by excess production of sebum (skin oil) which is triggered in the main by hormones and harsh cleansers that are applied roughly do not just clear away this excess oil but also affects the the ability of the skin to deal with it.
Stress
As stress has a tendency to weaken the body's immune system and impact its hormone levels it might be thought that stress would play a role in the onset of acne. However, there is no evidence to suggest that stress produces acne, but there is evidence to show that it might play a minor role once acne has arrived.
One of the problems with assessing the role played by stress is that people who suffer from chronic stress also also suffer from additional health problems which complicate the picture. Bear in mind also that here we are talking about clinical stress and not merely the worries which we all experience as part of the trials and tribulations of day to day life.
Medication
Many people are tempted to increase the dosage of an over-the-counter medication in the belief that if a little medicine does a bit of good then a lot will do a lot of good. Unfortunately, this is not so and it both wastes medication and could actually damage the skin. Always follow the instructions on any medication and if any medication is not showing signs of working within a reasonable period of time then it is a good idea to talk to a dermatologist.
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