ACNE MYTHS AND FACTS

1. Does a dirty skin cause acne

2. Can eating chocolate or sweets cause acne

3. Does sunlight and tanning improve acne

4. Can exercise cure acne

5. Can make-up cause acne or make it worse

6. Is acne only for teenagers 

7. Can certain spot treatments make

 acne go away overnight

Does a dirty skin cause acne?

This is one of the most common myths. According to dermatologists you cannot remove the impacted pores that cause acne - even if you wash your face twenty times a day! However, if you already have acne, poor skin hygiene can make it worse. 

People who have acne often feel unclean or dirty somehow and then over- wash and scrub their faces with harsh soaps or chemicals. This only makes matters worse as it strips away the skin's natural, healthy barrier and leaves it vulnerable to infection. 

If you have acne it does not mean you are dirty! Wash your face carefully twice a day with a gentle cleanser and use a good moisturizer afterwards. Look for products that have the terms “non-comedogenic” or “non-acnegenic” on the label. 

Can eating chocolate or sweets cause acne? 

Another common myth is that acne can develop if one eats certain foods. Delicacies such as chocolate, nuts, candy as well as greasy foods are commonly regarded as the kinds of foods that can cause acne.  

Fulton (2002:98) describes a study done at the University of Pennsylvania, where 50 teenagers where fed a pound of chocolate a day. Two of the teenagers’ acne got better, two got worse and the rest stayed the same. Therefore the reality is that there is no scientific evidence that high-carbohydrate or fat intake causes acne. Because acne is to a large extent genetic, what one eats does not make a lot of difference.  

So, you don't have to feel guilty if you eat a chocolate or a hamburger once in a while. Just remember it might not give you acne, but too much will certainly make you fat! 

Does sunlight and tanning improve acne? 

Exposure to the sun can have a drying effect on the skin. The UVA and UVB rays of the sun can damage the sebaceous (oil) glands and make them temporarily less active. For this reason, people with overactive oil glands may find that their skins show an improvement after being in the sun. Therefore, a lot of people who suffer from acne spend an excessive amount of time in the sun in an attempt to improve their skin. 

However, the sunlight can also irritate the pores in some cases and cause acne to flare-up. Furthermore, sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer and acne patients on Isotretinoin treatments like Roaccutane can do permanent damage to the skin if it is exposed to too much sunlight.