Acne Myths To some degree, acne affects almost all young teens and people between the ages of 12 and 25. Many cases of acne are very mild and require only the use of medications that can be bought over the counter at a pharmacy and used by following the recommended regiment of facial cleaning. Sometimes acne becomes moderate to severe and a dermatologist must be consulted to clear up the acne as well as to prevent the potential scarring that acne can cause if it is left untreated. There are many well-known and accepted facts about acne. However, there are just as many acne myths that are also circulating around, so let's clarify and debunk some of those myths. Myth #1: Acne is contagious, you must not touch anyone who has acne or you will get it, too! Fact: Acne is not contagious. Acne is what is called a "non-communicable" disease. That means that acne is not contagious. One person cannot "give" acne to another person by touching, eating, or drinking after them. Myth #2: People just outgrow acne. Nothing needs to be done about it. It's just a normal part of the growing up process. Fact: Although it is true that acne is very, very common among teenagers and young adults, it is not true that you just have to outgrow acne. Nor is it true that nothing needs to be done about it. Acne does not have to be a normal part of the growing up process. There are oral as well as topical medications that can treat acne and prevent teenagers and young adults from having to suffer the embarrassment and low self-esteem that acne causes. Myth #3: Sweating helps to clear up acne. Fact: Oh boy! Is this one ever wrong! Sweating can actually worsen acne. Strenuous physical activity makes the body create more oil. t is just part of the complex chemical process within our body that produces sweat. This oil can make the acne worse rather than better. Acne Prevention There is no better cure for acne than prevention. Unfortunately, there just isn't any neat prevention formula or immunization program that can completely prevent acne. Maybe someday there will be; but, until that wonderful day arrives there are still some things that all teenagers and young adults can do that will help to keep acne at bay. Nobody really knows what causes acne. Most research indicates that it is caused by a hormonal imbalance; but, there are other contributing factors and these are the factors that you can modify if you are at risk. One contributing factor to acne is the clogging of the pores in your facial skin. There are several measures that you can take to help prevent this clogging. One thing young women can do is to make sure that they clean make-up from their faces very thoroughly before going to bed at night. Additionally, young women need to regularly and completely clean their make-up brushes using warm soapy water or throw them away and buy new ones. Old make-up that is possibly contaminated needs to be thrown away. Teenagers and young adults need to understand that squeezing, picking at or popping acne pustules will not eliminate them. On the contrary, these measures only serve to worsen the acne and can lead to a greater infection and long term scarring. Change you pillow cases frequently and use a new clean towel after washing to pat (not rub) your skin dry. Fabrics tend to hold in bacteria and germs can that can worsen an acne outbreak. Changing pillowcases daily is not too often and a face towel should never be used more than once. This might drive your parent's nuts; but, it will certainly go a long way towards helping to reduce or end your acne infection. Keep hair pulled away from the face while sleeping. Bacteria and germs thrive in human hair. Another important measure to take is to always take a shower as soon as possible after hard physical activities or exercise. When sweat combines with skin oils, the mixture can serve to clog pores very quickly. Acne Home Remedies People have been dealing with acne for centuries and long before modern medicine came into being. Over the centuries home remedies have been developed and used to treat acne. Acne is not an American disease. Young people from around the world are afflicted and it is no wonder that there are an abundance of home remedies recommended to prevent acne. One home remedy for acne is using a herbal mixture that contains equal portions of sarsaparilla, yellow dock, burdock, and cleavers extracts. The accepted dosage is one-half teaspoon taken three times a day. This particular combination of herbal extracts is believed to produce a blood cleansing effect that is supposed to reduce or eliminate the body toxins that cause acne. Tea Tree Oil in another home remedy that is purported to treat the white heads, black heads and pustules associated with acne. Tea Tree Oil is obtained when the leaves of the Melaleuca Alternifolia tree (found in Australia are boiled.) Tea Tree Oil that is used undiluted will cause burning, itching, and extreme redness. Tea Tree Oil is usually diluted using only 5 water solution. This diluted mixture is supposed to be applied to the acne lesions twice a day and left for about 15 minutes, then washed off using warm water. Another staunchly defended home remedy for acne is not a treatment, as such, but rather avoiding cow's milk. Since cow's milk comes from pregnant cows, it contains large quantities of the very hormone which is thought to be the leading cause of acne, progesterone. Acne Fighting Products Products to fight acne outbreaks are a very big business. Annual sales of over-the-counter as well as prescription acne fighting products are in the billions of dollars and projected sales figures say that they are expected to continue to rise, with no let up in sight. Most teenagers and young adults in the 12 to 25 year-old age group will, at some point, buy at least one over-the-counter product. Most will buy several and continue to do so over the course of about 10-15 years. It isn't hard to see why acne fighting products are such big business. But, what are these products and how are they supposed to work? There are 4 main acne product types: facial cleansers, lotions, creams, and soaps. Facial Cleanser Products: These products are designed to remove dead skin cells, open up skin pores, and remove excess oils, dust, dirt and environmental pollutants. Most products recommend usage between two and three times a day. The advantage of these products over just plain soap is that they are pH balanced and thus better for the skin. Acne Fighting Lotions: These lotions are oil and water emulsions that are only to be applied to unbroken skin. Acne lotions usually have antibacterial, skin exfoliants, retinoids or antibiotics in them and should never be taken internally. The stronger ones are available only by prescription; but, lesser strength lotions can be bought over the counter. Acne Fighting Creams: Creams are semi-solid emulsions. The idea of a cream is to provide a barrier of protection while delivering strong anti-acne medications. Creams are also used to help retain moisture in the skin. Acne Fighting Soaps: These soaps are always pH balanced unlike hand soap or bath soap. They provide a method for cleaning the face that is conducive to removing the excess oil without producing undue drying. As with all recommendations, please consult with a qualified medical professional before trying any treatments contained in this article. Fight the acne myths by being smart and researching rather than just listening. Take as many preventative steps as possible to avoid situations that create the opportunity for acne to develop. If acne does afflict you, research both established home remedies, over the counter, and prescription products that can treat acne with a qualified medical professional before deciding to try anything.
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