Acne vulgaris 101 part 2

Myths about Acne

- It is due to environmental dirt, smog or pollution
- It is not related to stress
- It is not related to certain foods
- Gets better with herbs
- Does not require medical treatment
- Is due to deficiency of certain nutrients
- Is due to an inherited skin disorder
- Is best treated with cosmetic surgery
- Is best treated with expensive soaps
- Is best treated with exotic herbs
- Is best treated with colonic hydrotherapy

The majority of myths about acne have arisen because of falsehoods created by people who sell products for acne. Many vendors of anti acne treatment make exorbitant claims about their products. In truth, 99.9% of all acne treatments are garbage. The sad fact is that many health care professionals have also been promoting “sham” or “scam” treatments for acne just to make money.

Causes of Acne

No one knows why acne occurs but there are hundreds of speculations

Does acne run in families?

Yes, in some cases acne tends to be worse if a parent or a sibling has had prior acne. The exact genetic link is not known.

Can emotions affect acne?

Yes, emotions can trigger acne but are not a cause of ace. Individuals who are under moderate mental and physical stress often develop acne during this time period

Can foods cause acne?

This is still a hotly debated topic. Almost every food has at some point in time been linked to acne. Foods that are strongly linked to acne include excess consumption of chocolates and certain spices. Some experts claim there is no relation between foods and acne, but a lot of people who consume chocolates claim otherwise.

Can hormones cause acne?

Most definitely. Men who have excess testosterone or those who take anabolic steroids develop some of the worst acne and oily skin. Testosterone is also present in small amounts in females. Testosterone has been shown to increase size of sweat glands and increase oil production. The oils secreted tend to plug up the sweat pores that eventually results in acne. Males tend to develop acne just after puberty when there is a surge in levels of testosterone.

On the other hand, the female sex hormone, estrogen can improve acne. This is the reason why women tend to get acne at the end of menstrual cycle when hormone levels are low. Further, women who take the oral contraceptive generally have smooth clear skin. There are instances when women are prescribed oral contraceptive to help treat severe acne.