If you have acne prone skin then it is most likely that you will come across a lot of facts and myths about acne and you will not be able to figure out what to believe and what not. You must have heard hundreds of reasons that can cause acne and another hundred ways to treat them. You must have been asked to cut down on chocolates or potato chips, or maybe you had been asked to wash your face too often. There are chances that quite a lot of things that you thought you knew about acne might turn out to be a myth. Let’s learn certain myths about acne to make our treatments more effective.
Myths about acne
1. Only teenagers get acne
It is the biggest myth about acne one can come across so far that acne is caused only to teenagers. Studies have shown that acne is caused to people in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. Just the difference would be in the way they look. Acne in the 30s and 40s will be reddish around mouth and jaw and no blackheads or whiteheads will appear all over your face. But.. acne is acne, be it any type.
2. The more you wash your face, the fewer breakouts you have
Washing your face more than twice a day won’t help you at all. There are many factors which cause acne like genes, hormones, stress, bacteria etc. excess washing will shed off all the necessary nutrients and oils from the face leaving it rough and dry. This, in turn, will force your skin to produce more sebum which will clog the pores and exacerbate acne bacteria.
3. You must avoid wearing makeup
There are certain foundations and creams which clog the pores and call for acne. But since you also wish to hide the acne, it is evident that you cannot keep your hands off cosmetics. So, you can use non-comedogenic products. In fact, nowadays, certain products have salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide which help to cure acne. So, you can also use them. Wear makeup and be confident. Just make sure that you do not use thicker liquids. But do not follow the myth that make up for acne prone skin is not allowed.
4. Popping pimples makes them go away faster
You must have heard people advising you to pop your pimple but in a safe manner. It would be a terrific decision if you do so. Popping the pimple will cause more inflammation and the acne bacteria will bring more acne. Moreover, if a pimple is not completely ready to pop itself, and you pop it manually, it will most probably leave a mark on the skin while healing.
5. Your diet is responsible
If you have been asked to cut out on caffeine and dairy products, then you are probably on the wrong line. Every food is healthy and good for you until and unless it has sugar which causes an increase in the blood insulin levels. Acne is caused due to hormonal levels and not dietary issues so do not believe in this myth about acne. Moreover, asking a person in 30s to not drink milk because of acne will be sheer stupidity as bones require more nutrition through milk during that age.
Other myths about acne which a lot of people mostly believe easily are:
• Acne will first get worse before healing
• Blackheads are stuck in pores as dirt
• Stress causes acne
• Sun helps in healing acne
• Scrubbing can stop acne
