Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms. Acne affects most teenagers to some extent. However, the disease is not restricted to any age group; adults in their 20s - even into their 40s - can get acne. While not a life threatening condition, acne can be upsetting and disfiguring. When severe, acne can lead to serious and permanent scarring. Even less severe cases can lead to scarring.

Acne is a skin condition caused by various factors such as hormonal imbalance or clogged hair follicle.Though acne is not a dreaded condition it may have adverse psychological and social effects. Usually, acne occurs during adolescence; however, some times it may occur in adults. Truly speaking there is no cure for acne. At the same time, you must note that there are number of treatments such as medications and home made remedies for treating acne. Though normally acne does not lead to any clinical complications, the insightful look it gives is surely a matter of concern. Like other diseases and clinical conditions proper knowledge about the acne condition, healthy and hygienic lifestyle, adopting preventing (Reducing) measures and timely treatment will provide you relief from acne….

Acne misconceptions

Since the medical knowledge about acne is still relatively small, there are many misconceptions in acne and rumours about what causes the condition:

Diet: Chocolate, chips and sugar, among others, have not been shown to affect acne. This means that the scientific studies done to date did not find a big difference between acne in two groups of people, one group eating the food in question and one group avoiding it. However, ….. one recent study based on a survey of 47,335 women, did find a positive association between milk consumption and acne. The researchers hypothesize that the association may be caused by the hormones in milk. Seafood, on the other hand, may contain relatively high levels of iodine, but probably not enough to cause an acne outbreak. Still, people who are prone to acne may want to avoid excessive consumption of foods high in iodine.

Deficient personal hygiene: Acne is not caused by dirt. This misconception probably comes from the fact that acne basically involves skin infections. In fact the blockages that cause acne usually occur deep within the narrow follicle channel, where it is usually impossible to wash them away, from the cells and sebum created there by your body. The bacteria involved are exactly the same bacteria that everyone has on their skin. It is useful to clean your skin, but doing so will not prevent acne. Anything beyond very gentle cleansing can actually worsen existing lesions and even encourage new ones by damaging or overdrying skin.

Sex: Common myths state that either celibacy or masturbation cause acne. There is no scientific evidence that this is the case. It is true, however, that sexual activity, as well as anger and stress, affect hormone levels and thus bodily oil production.

Popularity: 54% [?]

Category: acne · acne myths · acne tips · acne treatments · acne types · research

Tags: about, acne, hormonal imbalance, Misconceptions.