There is hardly any person who has not undergone a bout of acne in their lifetime. Some suffer from acute acne attacks and others very mild attacks. Just like there are various types of acne a person may suffer from, there are also many acne myths associated with acne attacks. Here are some of the most common acne myths around.

Myth no. 1: Frequently washing your face helps clear up acne.

Contrary to what is shown in commercials, it is not external impurities that block pores and cause acne. Skin pores get blocked from within the skin to start acne. So instead of preventing acne, frequent washing only irritates and clogs pores. Even using a washcloth can be more irritating. A better option would be to gently wash your face with your bare hands twice a day.

Myth no. 2: Acne gets triggered by stress.

It is true that stress affects hormone levels, which in turn theoretically promotes acne. However any acne system is better than a bout of stress. So  it is better to look for the right acne treatment, then feel guilty about any stress you may be going through.

Myth no. 3: Sex and masturbation causes acne.

This was a myth created in the early 17th century mainly with the intention of dissuading young people from premarital sex. Basically, high androgen levels in the body create an increased sex drive and are also related to severe acne cases. So this means that this increased androgen levels and not a person’s sex drive is what can actually cause acne outbreaks.

Myth no. 4: The sun helps eliminate acne.

The sun SEEMS to help treat acne as it reddens your skin and thus helps blend your skin tone with red acne marks. However too much of sun exposure can lead to skin damage and irritation, which only makes acne worse. This does not mean that the sun is bad for your skin. Your skin needs the vitamin D in sunlight; but too much  sun exposure can only worsen your acne problem.

Myth no. 5: Acne and diet are related to each other.

People in different countries follow different diets but suffer from the common skin problem, acne. So it does not mean that diet and acne are related to each other. But it does mean that some foods may trigger an acne attack. Once again, these triggers depend on the body’s constitution as the food that triggers acne in a person’s body may not trigger acne in another person’s body.

Now that these acne myths have been explained, you may find it easier to prevent, and control your acne problem.