There is a lot of information distributed about acne and its causes and that information tends to be a mixture of both fiction and fact. Accordingly, let us take a look at a few of the things that are being said and see if we can divide the fact from the myth.

Diet

First of all there is no direct connection between eating things like greasy cheeseburgers and chocolate or drinking excessive soft drinks and developing pimples. What is true is that what we eat plays a role in all the body’s systems and so it does have a small role to play in whether developing acne is less or more likely.

For instance, eating greasy foods does not directly translate into increased oil production within the sebaceous glands which contributes to acne, although foods that do increase oil production would have an effect. However, iodized salt is as yet the only food substance that has been shown to have any measurable effect and it just worsens acne but does not cause it.

Hygiene

The odds of developing a spot are increased when a pore becomes blocked and bacteria get trapped inside. This means that hygiene habits which tend to close the pores can play a role. However this effect is only minimal and the bacteria and dead cell skins which become trapped and are unable to work their way out of the pore to the surface are influenced only to a small degree by insufficient regular face washing.

Nevertheless, after acne occurs then good skin care is particularly important and mild cleansing two times a day with soap and water can help to treat acne and encourage healthy skin in general. Good hygiene is a good idea for a number of reasons but it is most helpful in treating acne by providing a good surface allowing medications to do their work most efficiently.

Acne is greatly influenced by excess production of sebum (skin oil) which is triggered principally by hormones and abrasive cleansers applied roughly do not merely clear away any excess oil but also damages the skin’s ability to handle it.

Stress

Because stress has a tendency to weaken the body’s immune system and impact its level of hormones it might be thought that stress would play a part in the onset of acne. However, there is no evidence to suggest that stress causes acne, but there is some evidence to suggest that it could play a small role once acne has arrived.

One problem with assessing the role of stress is that people who suffer from chronic stress generally also suffer from additional health problems which can complicate the picture. Do not forget too that here we are talking about clinical stress and not simply the worries which we all experience as part of the ups and downs of day to day living.

Medicine

A lot of people are tempted to raise the dosage of an over-the-counter medication in the belief that if a little medicine does a bit of good a lot of medicine will do a lot of good. Regretably, this is not so and it is both a waste of medicine and could actually damage the skin. Always follow the instructions on any medicine and if any medication is not showing signs of working within a reasonable period of time then you should consult a dermatologist.

It is also worthy of note that there is no such thing as the best acne medicine. Each of us is different and a medication which proves to be the best acne medication for one individual will not necessarily do the trick for someone else.