Acne Myths Exposed

What is acne?

Acne is a serious skin condition that affects nearly everyone all over the world at some point of their lives. Acne sufferers face a number of other problems including loss of self confidence and even depression, particularly for teenage acne sufferers. Although it is often believed that acne only affects young teenagers this is not the case, and many adults have to live with acne for the rest of their lives.

Fully understanding acne as a skin condition and acne behaviour can help you to filter the many acne myths and acne cures that are out there.

Myth #1: Acne is caused by poor hygiene

One of the biggest myths surrounding acne is how it develops. Why some people get it and others don’t. Poor hygiene is often blamed for acne, however, this has nothing to do with this debilitating skin condition, and a lot of people that have excellent cleanliness and hygiene habits also suffer from acne. You can shower a hundred times a day and still come down with a bad case of acne. In fact if you already suffer from acne and scrub your skin you are actually running a higher risk of making your acne worse. A lot of acne sufferers continuously wash and scrub their skin and irritate it in the process. Skin becomes more inflamed and more prone to bacteria growth. Essential oils are also stripped off your skin with constant washing, toning and scrubbing. Although lack of hygiene is not the reason why acne occurs it can affect the severity of acne.

You will need to ensure that you cleanse, and exfoliate your skin correctly, with appropriate products. It is essential to exfoliate the dead skin cells off but important not to overdo it. A good daily routine will help cure acne, have fresher smoother skin and allow you to lead a normal life.

Myth #2: Food choices cause acne

Contrary to what most people believe what you eat does not matter as much when it comes to acne formation. Extensive scientific research has been done to prove that there is some connection between acne and diet. Foods you eat do not cause acne. However, certain types of foods can bring on breakouts. These foods include chocolate, dairy products and nuts (particularly walnuts). This has to do with breakdown of fats by the enzymes in your digestive tract. Often digestive problems can manifest in acne and other skin issues. Many people who are already suffer from acne notice that some foods do affect their acne making it worse, causing flare ups. Of course it would then be wise to avoid those particular foods.

Scientific evidence however states that if you are treating your acne properly you shouldn’t have to worry about what you eat too much.

Myth #3: Acne will eventually clear itself up

Believing that acne will simply goes away all by itself can cause acne sufferers to have false hope. It is true that some acne is temporary, however leaving acne untreated can potentially lead to severe skin damage (pitting) or scarring and post acne hyper-pigmentation in darker skin types which can sometimes be permanent. Acne can be managed effectively in most cases providing appropriate treatment is administered. Some people simply wait for it to go away on its own, and this hardly ever happens.

There are some things that you can do to improve your skin, and treat acne. Keep in mind that just as many other health conditions, acne may in fact get far worse if left untreated.

Myth #4: Only teenagers Get Acne

This is anything but true. There are many cases of acne that occur in adults, at various stages of their lives. It is very common and nothing to be ashamed of. Many men and women experience acne (of various degrees) at least once throughout their lifetimes. Although teenagers are more prone to acne due to hormonal changes, this does not make them the only ones who suffer from acne. Anyone can have acne. Often, if your parents or grandparents had acne, there is a good chance that you will also suffer from it at some point in your life.

No matter who you are, or how old you are the important thing is to seek appropriate treatment so that you don’t have to suffer with acne forever.

Myth #5: Acne is Caused By Stress

Another myth surrounding acne is that it is caused by stress, and that if you are worried you will break out in acne.

Although stress does affect your hormone levels and can at times bring on a break out, it does not cause acne.

Myth #6: Acne Only Occurs on Face

It is often believed that the acne will only be present on your face. Many acne suffers know that acne can appear in other embarrassing places such as neck, arms, back, chest and back.

It is also not contagious as some people believe, and kissing or touching someone with acne will not mean that you get it. However, your hands do carry oil and dirt, which can cause the skin on your face to become unhealthy and dull looking. Avoid touching your face repeatedly no matter if you have acne, or not.

Myth #7: Sunlight Helps Acne

Sunlight is often believed to cure acne this is untrue, and although it will help, it will not get rid of your acne. The wavelengths below 400nm (also known as ultra violet light) will be most effective for acne and will definitely help due to a number of positive effects, including antibacterial. It also can help to dry out the sebaceous glads and stop overproduction of sebum, however, once your skin will go back to its original state soon after you stop exposing to sunlight.

Although sun light can help manage acne, the negative side effects outweigh the positive ones. Sun exposure can sometimes cause irritation and peeling of the skin, particularly when over exposed. You can get sunburns and hyperpigmentation (which is an entirely different issue that is not easily fixed eg. melasma). One of the main points though is the risk of DNA  changes on cellular level which can potentially lead to skin cancer. So, slip slop slap - really!!!

These are a few of the most common myths surrounding acne.
You need to remember the condition can exhibit different behavioural traits in different people but it is treatable

By researching all the different treatments available, you will be able to make an informed decision and manage the condition effectively

We recommend to start by eliminating skin impurities and kill acne bacteria’s by starting with something little and not very expensive like Acne Cleansing Bar (at only $29)  or pore Cleansing gel

This two layer bar is excellent for Acne skins or Seborrhoea skin-types as it contains salicylic acid which is able to get inside the pore to thoroughly eliminate impurities.

The second layer contains Hemlock Oil which also assists in the flow out of bacterially produced waste material from the skin’s pores.

Essentially the blockage is changed from a solid blockage to a thick liquid, which then drains out of the pore.

This cleansing bars are solidified so as to avoid using excessive preservatives which can cause allergies.

The surfactants in the bars are able to attach themselves to underlying debris and raise them to the surface producing a deeper cleanse while avoiding breakouts.

Melbourne Facial Acne Treatment Summary