Acne is one of the common conditions that teenagers and even adults face nowadays. Do we blame pollution, food and even environment as the cause of acne? Modern science has improved dramatically to help us battle acne and might also discover truth of these myths.

Hygiene is considered as one of the most important aspects to ensure good health. One of the myths says ‘Poor hygiene causes acne’ which has been accepted widely in the society. However, it is not the main reason for the outbreak of acne which is due to ‘sebum’ and dead cells that are hidden under the skin and it is hard to cleanse. To minimize the outbreak, a gentle wash can be done easily on a daily basis.

What kind of food that will cause acne? As we believe, chocolate, junk food and greasy food can cause acne. How true is this? Some scientific research had been done to verify this myth in which the data from the experiment is not solid enough to prove this myth is true. However, iodine can cause acne outbreak and it is mostly found in seafood that we love to eat. Good health is the basic to reduce acne outbreak; thus, lessen the intake of the food mentioned above to ensure an acne free face.

Generally, medicine nowadays can either help or worsen the problem of acne. Many people think that applying more topical medication can cause acne to become worse. This myth is not true and people should not believe it but continue the medication prescribed. In some cases, acne ointments will cause inflammation of the skin. Professional consultation is needed in order to quantify the amount of medication to be taken.

We often hear that acne is common among teenagers but how about people in their 30’s? Acne can strike anyone at any age. But, acne usually clears up when a person reaches early stage of their 20’s. However, some may also have acne outbreak in their 30’s which is not common.

As we know, acne can be seen clearly through someone’s physical appearance but does the damage stops there? Patients of acne will tell you otherwise, acne can cause emotional stress which can last for a long time. It can also cause emotional outbreak such as low self esteem, self centered, seclusion from community and depression.

Some of the myths are carried down from generation to generation and some are created just for the sake of comfort and beliefs. Therefore, it is always a good idea to seek professional consultation for an effective acne treatment instead of believing the myths that could have make things even worse.