Skin Care Tips

This is a review of several acne myths. People believe old wives tales and other nonsense when it comes to the causes, prevention, and treatment of breakouts. I just wanted to take a moment and tell you what is true and what isn’t. We will start with what isn’t true.

Ever heard that stress causes acne? Well, that is not true. Stress, however, will change your hormone levels in your body and that may promote acne.

Sex and masturbation causes acne. Also not true. This old wives tale was created to scare teens into not having premarital sex. We all know how well that went over.

Washing your face a lot will help clear up acne. Not true at all. Pimples on the face are not caused by dirt. Pores do not get blocked from the outside, it happens from within. The pores walls close in on one another. Washing your face may actually irritate your skin and cause more acne.

The sun will help you clear up your acne. The sun may cause your skin to redden for a short period of time. Then your reddened skin will blend in with the irritated acne, but this is only a short-term fix. Sun exposure actually irritates the skin and can cause more breakouts.

Eating chocolate will cause zits. This is not a fact. More research needs to be done in the area of diet and acne to confirm or deny its association. So keep on eating the chocolate if you want it.

Now shaving or waxing does irritate the skin causing bumps. As hairs begin to grow back after waxing, shaving or plucking, they get trapped inside the hair follicle. This ultimately results in irritation and swelling. You should also warm the area you are shaving beforehand and use shaving cream. The type of razor you are using is important also. Shave in the direction of the grain, not against it.

Some medications list acne as a side affect. In this case, there really is no great way to prevent it. You just have to do the best you can. Do not squeeze the pimple when you do get one though. This can cause the surrounding area to become irritated also. Not to mention the possibility of scarring. Be sure to read the side effects when you are prescribed long-term medication and speak to your doctor about your concerns.

Now that I have taken the time to tell you some truth when it comes to acne, I hope that you can make better decisions regarding your skin care. Remember that just because your grandmother told you something caused acne, doesn’t mean that it’s true. My grandmother told me not to raise my arms while I was pregnant because I might choke the baby. They are sweet old ladies, but not always the most up to date.