5 Acne Myths

We have all heard them and some of us might still believe in them Let us clear the air in regards to acne myths once and for all.

MYTH 1

Acne is something that only happens to teenagers. Teens definitely do suffer from acne, but some people develop acne for the first time in their 20s and 30s. In fact, in Manhattan’s business district, most patients treated for acne vulgaris are women between the ages of 20 and 45.

MYTH 2

Acne occurs because your face is dirty. Many people feel like acne means their face is somehow unclean – but that’s just not true. The truth is, acne is a complex skin disorder that can’t be boiled down to simply “dirt”. It’s likely that the connection between the skin condition and the dirt was made because blackheads are, well, black – but blackheads aren’t caused by dirt either.

MYTH 3

To relieve acne, scrub your face really hard. Remember, acne isn’t caused by dirt – so you can’t just wash it away. A cleanser with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and sulphur compounds will help clear the skin, but it won’t cleat it any faster if you scrub harder. Scrubbing acne too hard can actually inflame blackheads, so be sure to be nice to your skin.

Myth 4

Popping your pimples makes everything better. Will people please stop picking at their faces! Popping pimples spills inflammatory gunk into surrounding tissues, which can cause scarring.

Myth 5

Tanning in the sun will help clear acne. Tanning does help hide acne, but the UV rays ultimately dry the skin, and can make the skin condition worse. And do we really need to remind you that tanning causes premature aging, not to mention skin cancer?