Myth #1: It is caused by stress
The effects of stress can be seriously detrimental to your health, including making an existing acne breakout worse, but stress does not cause your acne. The root cause of your breakouts is internal. The culprit is a build up of excess hormones that create toxins, which your body is trying to excrete. Our bodies eliminate waste through our skin, amongst other ways. When our pores become blocked, we can have an acne breakout.
Myth #2: It is caused by eating chocolate
Chocolate is high in fat and milk chocolate contains dairy products. Certain high fat foods and some high sugar foods, including sodas, make an existing outbreak worse and can start the events that lead to a fresh outbreak. The hormones in milk have a similar effect. This is because these foods hinder the elimination of toxins and excess hormones from your body. This is the root cause of your condition. Eating chocolate as part of a healthy balanced diet will not bring on acne.
Myth #3: It is caused by poor personal hygiene
Few people realise that their skin is, in terms of surface area, the largest organ in their body. Nor do they know the role it plays in eliminating waste from your body. Your pores are the route by which for your body excretes a lubrication called sebum, and releases fluids and gases. Acne breakouts are the external result of your pores being blocked with dirt, dead skin cells, sebum and bacteria. That is why keeping your face clean is essential. Personal hygiene is important. However, on its own it will not prevent a breakout
Myth #4: It only happens to teenagers
It is true that most people who suffer from acne do so in their teenage years. This is a time when their bodies and their hormones are going through great changes. For most people, their acne clears up naturally in their early twenties when their hormones have rebalanced. However, the condition affects one in four adults between the ages of 20 and 40
Myth #5: The sun will make it worse
This is not true. Being out in the fresh air will help the sun's rays to dry up a breakout, not make it worse. You should be cautious and limit your exposure to sun light, as the ultra violet rays can be harmful if we expose our skin to them for too long. We call this 'sunburn'. Sunburn can inflame our breakout.
Myth #6: Steam your face to get rid of acne
Facial steamers open up the pores and cleanse the skin. This may temporarily improve your condition by clearing blocked pores and the build up sebum. However, as steaming your face does to deal with the real cause of your acne, you will soon have another outbreak.
Myth #7: Toothpaste will clear up acne
Using toothpaste as a topical treatment will dry out your skin where you have applied it. Like all other topical treatments, the improvement in your condition, if there is any, will be short-lived.
There is no truth in any of these myths. Each one has taken a manifestation of your condition and wrongly attributed the cause to the prevailing circumstances. Yet, you can have clear skin in as little as a week, if you treat the root cause of your acne.
