Acne – Fact & Fiction Part 2

Following on from Part 1 in our last post, we continue to look at myths and misconceptions about acne.

Acne – myths and misconceptions

#6 – Certain foods cause acne
Although there is little research to prove that certain foods cause acne, some people find that certain foods do cause their acne to become worse. Greasy and fries foods should be kept to a minimum in everyone’s diet no matter what their skin type is. Don’t avoid all fats though as the body needs some good fats such as flaxseed and olive oil keep healthy and these will not make our skin worse. If you suspect a food – stop eating it for 3-4 weeks and then reintroduce it to the diet and see the effect.

#7 – Acne is improved by sunlight
Sunlight may have some effect on drying out the pimples you already have but it does not specifically help acne nor does it prevent you from getting acne. The damage caused by sun exposure will only further damage your skin. Be aware too, that if you are using oral or topical medication from the doctor such as a cream with a retinoid in it , it may make your skin super sensitive to the sun.

#8 – Squeezing pimples makes them go more quickly
It is very tempting to squeeze pimples to get rid of the unsightly head but it really doesn’t help the acne to clear faster. If you absolutely have to do this, wait until the pimple is close to popping itself as possible and use sterilised instruments and putting pressure on either side of the pimple.. Trying to force them and can cause scarring

#9 – Stress makes acne worse
There is evidence to suggest that acne can be made worse or a flare up can happen at times of stress such as exams or relationship breakups. Stress does not cause acne to start though. Sometimes drugs can cause acne as a side effect – see your doctor if you suspect this.

#10- Acne is a skin problem
It is true acne affects the skin but it also has an effect on the person suffering from it as a whole. Bad skin and scarring can cause people to not feel so good about themselves resulting in depression and self esteem issues. Seek help from a professional if you are struggling with these issues – you don’t have to do it alone.

Acne – Fact & Fiction Part 1

What do we really know about acne?

Here we explore some common misunderstandings about the causes and treatment of acne.

Acne – myths and the misconceptions

#1 – Acne is caused by dirty skin
Acne is not caused by dirty skin or people not washing their skin often enough. In ffcat the reverse can be true where acne is made worse and the inflammation worse by constant cleaning and scrubbing. Not only does this irritate the skin and make the inflammation worse, it can aggravate the acne. Our skins will only produce more oil if the natural oils are stripped away. We cannot affect the causes of acne that happen well below the surface of the skin in the oil glands.

#2 – Using makeup will make acne worse
Partly true – there are m any skin care products and cosmetics that have ingredients that can aggravate acne. Look for skin care products and cosmetics that are non-comodegenic. This means that they are formulated not to block the pores of the skin.

#3 – Acne comes from sexual activity
This myth probably came about as teenagers are the biggest age group to suffer from acne  at a time of puberty, sexual maturation and sexual exploration. The hormonal changes that you experience at the time of puberty can contribute to breakouts of acne – but have nothing to do with sexual activity.

#4 – Removing oil from the skin will reduce acne
Washing excessively or with soap and detergents can actually increase oil production. A gentle yet effective cleanser will remove dirt and oil from the skin but will not strip all the oils and thus cause the sebum glands to produce more. Try blotting excess oil during the day with a tissue instead of washing your face.

#5 – Only teenagers get acne
Teenagers commonly get acne but in theory you can  get acne at any age, even some unlucky  babies. If you have acne you don’t suffer alone, about 25% of all people between the ages 25-45 are estimated to suffer from some form of acne at some time.  Adult acne is not uncommon and often experienced by women with fluctuating hormones.

How To Help Oily & Problem Skin

Can we help problem skin?

There is a lot we can do to help our skin look and feel its best. The good news is all we do to help our skin will also improve our general health as well, so we look and feel better in ourselves. Some changes can have an immediate effect. However, we may have not been supporting our skin for some time so the changes we make can take a while to show on our skins. If the problem you have with your skin is of a more serious nature such as acne, dry skin that has cracked or bled or eczema or psoriasis, even moles or skin discolouration you may be unsure about it is best to seek professional advice.

What to do to help?

By reading the guidelines below and working out a plan for how you could improve your health and therefore the health of your skin. If there are a number of changes to be made, start off slowly and make small steps towards changing your lifestyle. Making too big a promises to yourself and taking on too much change at once can set yourself up to fail. For example, if you think alcohol consumption is a problem –rather than saying you’ll never drink again – try having alcohol free days or having a glass of water for every glass of alcohol you drink. Choose mocktails over cocktails, experiment with drinks at the bar that look the part but have no alcohol. Enlist the support of a friend that wants to improve their skin too.

Every small step in the list below will help you on the way to having skin that is less of a problem.

• A well balanced diet with fresh, unrefined foods, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid greasy, fried and fatty foods.
• Avoid overly processed and refined foods including sugar.
• Choose water over fizzy drinks and keep well hydrated.
• Avoid excessive alcohol, smoking and drugs.
• Get plenty of sleep at night.
• Avoid sun tanning and use sunscreen to avoid skin damage.
• Avoid heavy makeup.
• Exercise regularly, walking is fine to increase blood circulation.
• Use  effective skin care products with a gentle but effective  cleanser both morning and night to remove daily grime build up that clogs pores.
• Use lukewarm water to rinse the skin and pat gently dry.
• Use an effective moisturiser that will help support skin function with no harmful ingredients.

Help for oily skin…

Why do I get oily skin?

Oily skin is caused by overactive oil glands which produce a natural lubricant for the skin called sebum. Natural healthy skin has a normal amount of oil produced in order to keep it supple and give it a healthy glow – we call this normal skin. Oily skin produces too much oil and the skin becomes thick and heavy in texture and can look greasy and dull. Excess oil also means the pores are more likely to become blocked and therefore more susceptible to pimple, acne and blackheads. Excess oil production has links with our diet which we can do something about and hormone production which we can’t.

How to test for oily skin

If you look in the mirror you will probably see a greasy, shiny look to the skin, often with a coarse texture and large pores which can sometimes have an orange peel texture. Your skin may look dull and sallow and you may also be prone to blackheads and outbreaks of pimples. There is also  a combination skin type which will mean you have oily areas to deal with as well as dry patches. You may like to have your skin type diagnosed by a professional or take the simple tissue test and see what results you get.

Tissue skin type test:

• Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water

• Do not moisturise afterwards

• Wait for 30 mins

• Place a tissue over the entire face and pat all over the face keeping the tissue in one place.

• Look at the tissue – if you can see oily patches on the tissue you have oily skin.

• If the oily patches are only on the chin, nose and forehead only, you may have combination skin so only the oily areas will need to be treated as an oily skin type.

Oily skin treatment

• Treat it gently – harsh treatment and products can cause increased oil production.

• Don’t try to dry up the skin with ingredients containing alcohol and harsh astringents as this can also cause more oil to be produced.

• Avoid cleansers with harsh soaps and detergents, they can worsen the problem in the long term.

• Use lukewarm water to wash and pat dry gently, this will be enough to remove excess oil without stripping the skin of its natural oils.

• Blot the excess during the day with blotting tissues or plain tissues; this will gently remove the excess shine rather than was your face excessively causing more oil production.

• Use a moisturiser that will absorb well to help treat and protect the skin without blocking the pores and looking greasy.

• Avoid too many greasy and fried foods in the diet.