What Do You Really Know About Acne

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

There are a lot of folks who find that adulthood hasn’t cleared up their acne like it was supposed to. We were told as teens that our mild to moderate acne would all but disappear by the time we hit our 20s. And we believed it. Some of us continue to find the occasional blemish popping up from time to time, and some of us find that that moderate acne hasn’t diminished at all, even into our 20s, 30s, and 40s. But what causes these unsightly photo-op destroyers?

There are a lot of misconceptions about acne out there. Since healthy skin is important to all of us, and a clear complexion is a big part of that, make sure you aren’t buying into some of these more common antiquated acne assumptions.

Washing your face more often will clear up acne

Many of us think that the more we wash our face, the cleaner it will be. That might be the case, but there is no guarantee that your acne will clear up as a result. On the contrary, repeated washings in a short period of time may actually do more damage to your skin. According to Acne.org, blemishes are not caused by dirt on the surface of your skin. “Rather, the walls of a pore stick together deep within the skin, starting acne formation.” Scrubbing your face with a washcloth repeatedly will only cause skin irritation. A gentle cleansing with warm water no more than twice a day is sufficient.

Acne is caused by poor hygiene

There is a misconception that acne is caused by a lack of personal cleanliness. While this is false, we would never recommend someone go long periods of time without washing their face, even if they know it won’t cause acne. You have to know it won’t help it, either.

Sun exposure will clear up acne

How many of us have noticed that after being outside for a day of fun in the sun, our acne appeared to clear up? The sun provides us with our Vitamin D requirements, but as it dries up the pores on our face, it’s also burning skin, simply disguising blemishes. Sun exposure can even make acne worse because it causes skin irritation; some people will even have breakouts as their skin heals from sun damage.

Acne is caused by some foods we eat

What about our diets? Is eating chocolate or greasy food the cause of our acne? There has been a lot of dermatological research done on this subject and it’s one that still has no solid conclusion. There are no concrete links between eating certain foods and having acne. Yet there does seem to be a correlation between certain groups of people with different diets and the prevalence of acne which has sparked this myth. If you notice a pattern in the types of food you eat before a breakout, bring it to the attention of your dermatologist. The truth is, dermatologists do know some causes for acne.

Hormones are one cause. That’s why acne most commonly develops during puberty, when hormones are at an all-time high. However, hormone fluctuations happen throughout our lives, during pregnancy for example. But hormones also play a factor in stress, which is why there is link between stress and breakouts.

Excess oil, commonly referred to as sebum, in the pores is another. The American Academy of Dermatology says, “When the sebaceous gland is stimulated by androgens [a hormone], it produces extra sebum. In its journey up the follicle toward the surface, the sebum mixes with common skin bacteria and dead skin cells that have been shed from the lining of the follicle. While this process is normal, the presence of extra sebum in the follicle increases the chances of clogging—and can cause acne.”

Bacteria. All of us have bacteria in and around our bodies, and it helps to regulate our skin’s natural sebum maintenance system, but if a pore gets clogged, bacteria multiplies rapidly and causes skin to become inflamed.

But what can you do about it?

There are a lot of treatments available to adults with acne, both over-the-counter and prescription. You’ll find topical treatments at the drugstore while a physician will prescribe anything from an oral antibiotic that can help with the bacteria to a topical cream depending on the severity and the type of acne you have.

You can discover multitudes of home treatments by searching online or asking a skin care professional. These include lavender oil, sea salt, lemon juice, egg white masks, green tea, and apple cyder vinegar!

If you’re still wanting to do something about those breakouts, read up on acne treatments and find the one that works for you. Once your skin is lookin’ good, you’ll be feeling good, too.

Article appeared in our 26-1 Issue - April 2009