Kokova Magazine

From a small red dot to large, pus-filled cysts, acne has many forms and is a distressing and debilitating condition that can affect your mental health - as well as cause misery and pain in your everyday life. We take a look - and challenge - some of the myths about acne that some professional seem quick to dismiss.

Diet and acne are related or acne is caused by a poor diet:

Probably one of the most popular myths on the list and the most common answer is that it is not true - your diet will not give you acne. You will be told that your hormones are responsible for your acne and not your diet -but if you talk to fellow sufferers they will probably disagree.

Whilst there are a number of medical conditions, from polycystic ovaries, puberty and pregnancy, all itching to interfere with our hormones - there are some people who do, in fact, notice quite a dramatic effect when they compare their diet to their breakouts. We know that food has an effect on the balance within our bodies and that foods can settle, change or affect our hormones - and hormones affect acne.Some people will indeed notice that if they eat chocolate, it will have an effect on the amount of spots and pimples that they get; other people may find that dairy products in general cause an increase in the condition. Some symptoms of food intolerances are listed as acne, spots and skin rashes.

So it seems that there is a connection - even if it is just through the ingestion of extra hormones found in some of our food and dairy items that are mass produced today.

(I personally know that when I drink alcohol, especially wine, I will have a breakout of acne; not a few minor spots but big, hard cystic lumps, that will form on the face and underarms - and will set up home for a few weeks!)

On this point, we definitely need more research and should not just accept that it is a total myth. While a bad diet shouldn't give you acne - if you are prone to it then moderating or eliminating certain foods from your diet may make all the difference.

Washing your face more often will help clear up acne

When you suffer from acne it is common to feel that you are not getting really clean and it can be tempting to over-wash your face and body, in an attempt to wash the acne away.

Unfortunately this myth is probably just that, a myth - and over-washing can indeed aggravate your acne more and over-stimulate your sebaceous glands further. A flannel or washcloth can add even more irritation. The best choice is to wash very gently with clean, bare hands, and only wash twice a day. Although acne is not caused by dirt, if you do not keep any sore or spot clean then you do run the risk of a secondary infection - which could have perhaps been the root of this myth.

Stress cause acne

While we are told that stress does not cause acne and that this is a myth - we do know that stress can have an effect on hormones so theoretically it can promote acne. Reducing or eliminating stress will not cause your acne to go away - but it will certainly help your overall health in more ways than just assisting your acne reduction.

Make-up will make your acne worse

As long as you remove your make-up correctly and choose products that are 'nonacnegenic' or 'noncomedogenic' then you should be able still be able to wear make-up and avoid any extra breakouts.

It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor or health professional to see if they can offer any further advice - or try speaking to as many different beauty consultants before making a final purchase decision. Remember that just because someone you know uses a product that suits them, it may not suit you - and you should immediately discontinue use of any product or make-up that causes any irritation or break-out.

Masturbation or sex causes acne

The myth, that originated centuries ago to dissuade young people from having pre-marital sex, is totally false. In fact, if you rewind a few paragraphs you may wish to re-read the myth about stress...

"Acne occurs when sebaceous glands over-excrete sebum, necessary oil that helps to keep the skin and hair moisturised. Hormones, diet or stress sometimes excites their function. When this occurs, excess oil may harden in the pore and form a plug. This prevents excess sebum from reaching the skin surface and forms the perfect breeding ground for P. Acnes (a bacterium) to flourish."

See more at www.acne-resource.org