Do you ever feel like you know a topic really well, and when someone tries to throw misinformation out there, you get angry. You get angry because you know the real truth and you are sure of it! This is one of those instances – since most acne information on the web is useless, there is a lot of misinformation out there which are leading sufferers to make the wrong decisions in treating and curing their acne. Let’s go over all of them, and keep on adding more as they come along.

• Acne is caused by genetics. Acne is not caused by genetics. The health of your parents is passed on to you when you are conceived. Their dietary habits influence what you eat when you are growing up as a child.
• Acne is caused by dirt on your skin. Acne comes from within your body. The things you put on the outer layer of your skin may aggravate, but do not cause acne.
• Acne is a result of hormones during your period. Hormones play a role in acne but they aren’t a true cause. Poor dietary habits cause an imbalance of hormones which result in acne.
• Benzoyl Peroxide or Salilycylic Acid can cure acne. BP and SA only treat the superficial symptoms of acne and do not treat the true cause.
• Acne is the result of your hormones during teen years. Not everyone in their teens have acne, obviously.
• Visiting the dermatologist can cure your acne. The dermatologist is only in business to treat the superficial symptoms. e.g. Topicals to treat symptoms on the skin, antibiotics to treat symptoms of overgrowth of bacteria.
• Acne is caused by stress. Stress plays a role in acne but isn’t the main cause. Stress can cause an imbalance of hormones and poor digestion but a healthy human being’s immune system is strong enough to handle these stressors.
• Acne will cure itself when I get older. You got acne in the first place for a very specific reason. Unless you make the correct adjustments to your dietary habits, your acne will persist wether you like it or not.
• Oily foods cause acne. Some foods which are cooked in unhealthy oils such as oxidized vegetable oil will cause acne but this does using proper oils in cooking will actually heal your acne.
• Accutane is the most effective treatment of acne. Accutane is dangerous! It will treat superfluous sebum production but will also destroy your immune system in the process!
• Antibiotics is an effective treatment of acne. Antiobiotics are damaging to your body. It will treat bacteria overgrowth in your body but will also destroy friendly microorganisms that are part of a healthy immune system
• Eating vegetables and fruits can cure your acne. Vegetables are healthy if properly cooked otherwise difficult for someone with a weak immune system to digest. Fruits contain too many sugars which is unhealthy and will cause acne.
• Sweating causes acne. Sweating will release toxins that were in the layers of your skin in the first place. This may aggravate acne but a healthy human being does not have toxins ready to be released through sweat.
• Weight lifting causes acne. Weight lifting in strenuous amounts will put a halt to the healing process but it does not have a role in causing the acne in the first place.
• If I stop worrying about acne, it will go away. This is ignoring the reason your acne manifested itself in the first place. You need to take proper action to cure your acne.

Have anymore acne myths? Please comment on them and I will add them to the list.