Acne could be a traumatic skin condition for most teenagers.
I can leave scars on the face and depending on the severity, it could be pretty disfiguring as well.
Add to this a list of dos and don'ts and it could make life quite miserable for the acne patient.
Should you avoid oily foods? One common concern centres on foods and beverages that may =need to be avoided for the acne patient.
Do fried oily and fatty foods aggravate the condition? Acne is caused by an excess of oil production by the oil glands in the skin.
As the oil builds up and bacteria grow in the hair follicle, pimples, pustules and even nodules could form.
That's why most patients believe they should avoid foods like pizzas, fried chicken and French fries.
There is no evidence to support this but if you suspect that acne flare-ups are linked to something you're eating, try avoiding it to test your hypothesis.
If the flare-up subsides when you avoid the suspect food, abstain from it for about two weeks and then eat it again, just too see if there is another bout.
Can cosmetics trigger acne? There are some cosmetic products that could indeed aggravate your skin condition.
Try and use only non-oil-based creams and cosmetics.
Also, read the label of the product and pick those that say it is "non-comedonegenic" or non-acnegenic".
These are safer bets.
Certain drugs and formulations also precipitate acne.
For instance, those that contain progesterone.
Also, hormonal medications like anabolic steroids that contain androgens can also trigger acne.
The same applies to oral contraceptives that result in lowered levels of estrogens, or the female hormone.
Acne and hygiene Does poor personal hygiene cause acne to spread? There is no direct connection between the two but it is a good idea to keep your face clean and free of dirt.
While this applies to everyone, what it means for the acne patient is that it clears away skin debris and bacteria on the surface area and helps to not exacerbate an already bad situation.
Try not to wash your face too often or use a rough towel "to wash off the excess oil".
This will only cause your skin to dry and get damaged and lead to further inflammation of the acne spots.
"Should I get a sun tan?" Some acne patients believe that increased exposure to the sun dries up the excess oil and eases the condition.
Wrong! Sun exposure results in tanned skin that only temporarily camouflages the acne.
If at all, it could cause redness, itchiness and dryness of the skin.
Hence, this is another among the list of acne myths and misconceptions.