Popping the acne myths.

Acne myth #1: Only teenagers get acne While there are many who only experience acne during their teenage years, plenty of adults get acne too. A survey of more than 1000 adults published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 50% of women 20-29 years old, 35% of women 30-39 years old, 26% of women 40-49 years old and 15% of women aged 50 and over reported having acne. Adult acne is more common in adult women than in men, due to ongoing hormonal fluctuations. Acne myth #2: Acne is not related to diet We used to think that diet had nothing to do with acne, but recent studies have shown a possible link between high glycaemic index (GI) foods and acne. A high GI diet can aggravate acne because it stimulates insulin production, which affects our endocrine system and hormones. Acne myth #3: Blackheads are dirt in your pores Skin cell turnover is a natural process that pushes oil and debris out of our pores, keeping them clean. When this process occurs too slowly, sebum and skin cells build up in our follicles, resulting in a blackhead or whitehead. Blackheads are open, which lead to oxidation of the plugged materials and a black colour. It has nothing to do with dirt. Vitamin A creams (retinoids) help reduce blackheads by increasing skin cell turnover. Acne myth #4: If you have acne, you need to wash your face more often Although it’s important to maintain good skin hygiene to remove bacteria, dead skin cells, excess oil and dirt from the surface, over-washing and over-scrubbing can actually irritate the skin and make acne worse. When you wash too much, you strip your skin of it’s natural oils. This dehydrates the skin, so it overcompensates by producing more oil, which can then clog pores and increase acne. Acne myth #5: Moisturisers cause acne Dehydrated skin actually produces more pore-clogging oil than hydrated skin. If your skin is dry, apply a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer twice daily. Moisturisers don’t prevent wrinkles (another myth!) so skip this step if your skin is producing enough natural oils itself. Acne myth #6: Make-up makes acne worse It’s true that some products can clog pores and make acne worse, but the right makeup can actually improve acne. Powder foundations can absorb oils that would otherwise clog pores. It you prefer a liquid foundation, look for one labeled oil-free or non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores. Acne myth #7: Sun exposure helps acne Although it may feel like the sun is drying up your pimples, at best a tan or mild sunburn only camouflages the breakout. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can damage the skin, releasing free radicals and destroying cellular DNA, which can increase inflammation and lead to premature ageing and skin cancer. Look for a broad spectrum, SPF 50+ sunscreen that is oil-free and non-comedogenic. Some physical sunscreens containing Zinc may actually help kill acne-causing bacteria. A higher SPF sunscreen is not more occlusive and does NOT increase the risk of acne. Acne myth #8: Toothpaste can heal a pimple Toothpaste contains a number of ingredients including baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, menthol, essential oils and triclosan, which can dry pimples out. However, it can also cause irritation and rashes, so use a product specifically designed for your skin. Acne myth #9: It’s OK to squeeze pimples Tempting as this may be, it’s never a good idea. Popping pimples causes trauma to the skin and may actually drive bacteria deeper into the pore, increasing inflammation. More importantly, the trauma to the skin may increase your chance of leaving redness, pigmentation or permanent scarring. Acne myth #10: Acne is not affected by stress Although the exact mechanisms by which stress increases acne outbreaks are unclear, it is thought to be linked to chemical reactions, which create hormonal imbalances in the body. For example, during times of stress the stress hormone cortisol is increased, resulting in increased oil production, which can lead to pimples. Stress-induced inflammation may also play a role.  

Popping the acne myths.

Acne myth #1: Only teenagers get acne

While there are many who only experience acne during their teenage years, plenty of adults get acne too. A survey of more than 1000 adults published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 50% of women 20-29 years old, 35% of women 30-39 years old, 26% of women 40-49 years old and 15% of women aged 50 and over reported having acne. Adult acne is more common in adult women than in men, due to ongoing hormonal fluctuations.

Acne myth #2: Acne is not related to diet

We used to think that diet had nothing to do with acne, but recent studies have shown a possible link between high glycaemic index (GI) foods and acne. A high GI diet can aggravate acne because it stimulates insulin production, which affects our endocrine system and hormones.

Acne myth #3: Blackheads are dirt in your pores

Skin cell turnover is a natural process that pushes oil and debris out of our pores, keeping them clean. When this process occurs too slowly, sebum and skin cells build up in our follicles, resulting in a blackhead or whitehead. Blackheads are open, which lead to oxidation of the plugged materials and a black colour. It has nothing to do with dirt. Vitamin A creams (retinoids) help reduce blackheads by increasing skin cell turnover.

Acne myth #4: If you have acne, you need to wash your face more often

Although it’s important to maintain good skin hygiene to remove bacteria, dead skin cells, excess oil and dirt from the surface, over-washing and over-scrubbing can actually irritate the skin and make acne worse. When you wash too much, you strip your skin of it’s natural oils. This dehydrates the skin, so it overcompensates by producing more oil, which can then clog pores and increase acne.

Acne myth #5: Moisturisers cause acne

Dehydrated skin actually produces more pore-clogging oil than hydrated skin. If your skin is dry, apply a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer twice daily. Moisturisers don’t prevent wrinkles (another myth!) so skip this step if your skin is producing enough natural oils itself.

Acne myth #6: Make-up makes acne worse

It’s true that some products can clog pores and make acne worse, but the right makeup can actually improve acne. Powder foundations can absorb oils that would otherwise clog pores. It you prefer a liquid foundation, look for one labeled oil-free or non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores.

Acne myth #7: Sun exposure helps acne

Although it may feel like the sun is drying up your pimples, at best a tan or mild sunburn only camouflages the breakout. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can damage the skin, releasing free radicals and destroying cellular DNA, which can increase inflammation and lead to premature ageing and skin cancer. Look for a broad spectrum, SPF 50+ sunscreen that is oil-free and non-comedogenic. Some physical sunscreens containing Zinc may actually help kill acne-causing bacteria. A higher SPF sunscreen is not more occlusive and does NOT increase the risk of acne.

Acne myth #8: Toothpaste can heal a pimple

Toothpaste contains a number of ingredients including baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, menthol, essential oils and triclosan, which can dry pimples out. However, it can also cause irritation and rashes, so use a product specifically designed for your skin.

Acne myth #9: It’s OK to squeeze pimples

Tempting as this may be, it’s never a good idea. Popping pimples causes trauma to the skin and may actually drive bacteria deeper into the pore, increasing inflammation. More importantly, the trauma to the skin may increase your chance of leaving redness, pigmentation or permanent scarring.

Acne myth #10: Acne is not affected by stress

Although the exact mechanisms by which stress increases acne outbreaks are unclear, it is thought to be linked to chemical reactions, which create hormonal imbalances in the body. For example, during times of stress the stress hormone cortisol is increased, resulting in increased oil production, which can lead to pimples. Stress-induced inflammation may also play a role.