Acne Myths - Do you Agree with These?

Acne myths

Let's start with the myths. We collected these from beauty experts, researching the web, and reading various respectable publications. If you have suggestions for ones we've missed, or disagree with our findings, please tell us in the comments below. The RealSelf team reads every single comment.

Chocolate

Pity chocolate, which somehow got the blame for our teenage acne. On top of that throw in sex, which also got indicted. Was this our parent's plot to keep us from eating too many sweets and getting involved with too many sweethearts? There are worse conspiracy theories.

Dirt on your skin

Remember using those white cleansing pads (or, maybe you still do) that revealed the disgusting dirt that once covered your face. Well, there's no proven relationship between this dirt and acne outbreaks. Not that having clean skin is a bad thing, but you're barking up the wrong tree by thinking you can cleanse away your acne.

Fast food - the greasy kind

You would think that all of the world's skin care and health evils are aligned with fast food. In the case of acne, it's not a fair charge. There's no correlation between your average French fry and acne. As mentioned above in the chocolate myth, a specific diet or food does not cause acne.

Cause of Acne- reality

Acne breakouts are believed to be caused by the following factors.

Clogged pores

When dead skin clogs your hair follicle it allows it to produce oil (sebum) and become inflamed from bacteria invading the area. If the follicle breaks open, your acne will spread to nearby skin cells. Pores may become clogged by oily products, like oil-based makeup, on your skin surface.

Stress or worrying

There's no definitive answer to whether acne gets worse with stress-some say it does, others argue that stress and your acne condition are unrelated.

Hormones

Hormonal imbalance can lead to over-production of oil. This is why some women get clear skin when taking birth control pills (which regulate hormone levels).