How to Stop Acne - Common Myths About Acne - Part 1

How to Stop Acne

Common Myths About Acne - Part 1
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There are many myths about acne which often create added anxiety for the sufferer. Certain practices may aggravate the acne or even cause more complications, such as scarring and pigmentation. And in this case, some of the ways on how to stop acne that have been learned by the sufferers are just wasted because most of them believe in those myths.


Myth # 1: Certain Foods Make Acne Worse

In the Asian culture, the right food nourishes the body and the wrong food is often regarded as a cause of many ailments. Oily, greasy, deep-fried food, chocolates, nuts and sweets have been implicated in acne flares. This myth is prevalent among the young and old. However, to date, there is no scientific evidence that diet plays an important role in causing acne; rigid food restriction is unnecessary. For general health benefits, a well-balanced diet rich in fiber and low in fats, salt and refined sugar is recommended.

How to Stop Acne

Myth # 2: Dark Foods Cause Pigmentation After Acne

Parents (especially Chinese) often advise their children to avoid taking dark-colored foods such as soy sauce and coffee, to prevent black marks (pigmentation) from appearing during the healing process. In fact, the pigmentation results from the inflammation, rather than from staining by the food. This post inflammatory pigmentation is common after any form of injury to the skin and is a predisposition of the darker Asian skin. This topic is further discussed later.

Myth # 3: Squeezing Pimples Helps Unblock Pores and Aids Healing

This unhealthy practice often results in greater inflammation and damage to the skin. Instead of faster healing. Scars tend to be deeper, and post-acne pigmentation tends to be darker and more prolonged.

Myth # 4: Poor Skin Hygiene Causes Acne

The cause of acne has been well studied and is explained earlier. Acne is not caused by poor skin hygiene, and certainly can not be washed away. This myth often leads to vigorous and excessive cleaning of the face with harsh medicated soap or abrasive skin cleansers, which results in additional irritation, redness and soreness of the skin. Gentle cleansing two or three times each day with a mild soap is recommended. This will help remove excessive oil (sebum) on the surface of the skin without causing unwanted irritation.

How to Stop Acne