4 Acne Myths Busted

4 Acne Myths Busted

Many people will struggle with acne at some point, but when you’re looking for ways to manage and treat breakouts there are a lot of misconceptions. In this article, we take a look at four of the biggest myths about acne and what you can actually do to help your skin.

• “Only teenagers suffer from acne“

A lot of teenagers will suffer from acne, however, there’s no guarantee that you won’t experience breakouts well into your 20s and 30s. And for some people that have clear skin during their teens, acne can appear all of a sudden later in life. Acne is one of the most common skin conditions, and it can affect anyone at any point.

While adult acne is different to teenage acne in some ways, it’s still often caused by hormone changes. When you’re going through puberty there’s an influx of different hormones that can play havoc with your skin, but even in adults things like periods, pregnancy, and even menopause can cause fluctuations with your hormones.

There are other factors though, and if you’re struggling with acne it can be helpful to try and identify what’s triggering it. For example, the main causes of acne on the face are often related to hormonal changes, but it could also be stress, your diet or lifestyle, or even certain medications.

• “You should wash your face more often“

When your skin is greasy and breaking out it can be tempting to keep washing it, but this isn’t going to help your acne or clear your skin. In fact, washing your face more often will dry it out and cause your body to produce even more oil than usual to make up for it.

You should aim to wash your face twice a day, with a gentle soap or face wash. This is enough to remove bacteria and oil to keep your skin clean. Use warm water that’s not too hot, and gently pat dry your skin with a clean towel so that you don’t irritate it any more.

You should also make sure to regularly clean anything that comes into contact with your skin. For example, change your pillowcases and bedsheets at least once a week, wash your makeup brushes and sponges, and clean your phone screen. All of these things can end up harbouring bacteria that can cause more breakouts.

• “Acne treatments can work overnight“

Plenty of acne treatments will claim to show immediate results or promise a noticeable difference within 24 hours. But for most effective acne treatments they’re going to take several weeks or a month to start working. It’s important to use them consistently for at least two months to see what effect they have on your acne.

Some of the best active ingredients for tackling acne are benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and alpha-hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid. These are often found in over the counter treatments and will work to reduce inflammation, remove dead skin cells, and kill bacteria on the skin that can cause acne.

• “Popping spots will clear them faster“

It might seem like a good idea to pop and pick at your spots when they’re red and inflamed, but it’s likely to make them more noticeable and they’ll take longer to heal. Squeezing them also increases the chances of your spots becoming infected and it can cause long-term scars.

Try to avoid touching your acne as much as you can, and when you are applying treatments always make sure your fingers are clean and wash your hands afterwards as well.

If you’re experiencing acne then it’s important to understand exactly what you should and shouldn’t be doing to your skin. You need to take care of yourself and use the right products and treatments that will help to clear your skin rather than irritating it.

Guest Article.