Acne Myths And Old Wives Tales

Acne, a mild skin disorder in which ugly marks are left behind after swelling and bursting of sebaceous glands on the epidermis. It is the nightmare of most young people, especially teenagers. The fact that it is more observed among teenagers in their adolescent stages or among those who are aged below 30 years creates a lot of myths and misconceptions. Some of these acne myths have been perpetuated from traditional folklore.

The correct information concerning acne is crucial so that the person treating this condition doesn't create additional complications.

Here is how you can differentiate between medical information and some old wives tales.
You first of all need to know what causes acne. This is often caused by a natural process of exuding the excess fat and other excreta from the human body. It just happens that during adolescent the body is actively developing and therefore there are much more waste products. This may lead to swelling of the hair follicles and the sebaceous glands. When burst, the cells are more at risk of being infected by bacteria and therefore leave dark spots on the skin.

The #1 myth is that adolescents are the only ones who get acne, this is not true. There are many types of acne, one type is adult acne.

The second myth is that acne is caused by poor hygiene. This is not true because after all, even the most well kept individuals can have acne. The only effect of poor hygiene on acne is the fact that one may re-infect the open wounds caused by the bursting of the glands.

Food is sometimes thought to be a cause of acne, this is false also. Chocolate and fatty foods have long been thought to cause acne; this is one of those old wives tales.

Washing your face can prevent acne: this has partial truth. It may not necessarily prevent acne but may lead to reduced formation of dark spots. This is prevented by reducing the chances of bacteria acting on the sebaceous glands and the burst cellular glands.