The Completely Honest Truth About Teen Acne
Teen acne is a disease that strikes over 85% of teenagers, yet
most people have no idea exactly what causes teen acne. In many
cases what most people know about teen acne is really only a
number of myths. While the mechanisms of this disease aren't
clear, scientists know enough to tell what can and what can't
cause it.
Diet (myth and fact) One of the most common beliefs about teen
acne is that it is the result of an improper diet. The truth is
that in most cases diet has little or no effect on teen acne.
While one of the US studies shows a connection between a
high-carbohydrate diet and some forms of acne, it's not a simple
cause-effect connection. The disease won't go away just because
chocolate is dropped as a snack food.
Exercise (myth) Too much exercise is also supposed to increase
teen acne. At first glance, it seems logical - the disease is
connected to oily skin and you sweat a lot during physical
exercises. But again, there is no connection between doing
exercises and teen acne. It won't get better if you stop playing
tennis.
Dirt (myth) Dirt was also pointed out as a cause of acne. As
with exercise, at first glance it seems logical. Teen acne is
the result of clogging the skin's pores - and dirt certainly can
do that! However, washing can't cure teen acne. It won't even
help. In most cases the pores are clogged by dead skin cells,
not dirt.
Sex (myth) Another common myth is that sexual activity (or lack
of it) can cause acne. While teen acne and the first sexual
encounters may start at about the same time, there is no
cause-effect connection between them. They have nothing to do
with each other.
Physiological reasons (fact) The real causes of teen acne are
purely physiological. During growing up process male hormones
(they exist in both male and female) over-stimulate the
oil-producing glands. The oil impedes the rate of dead skin cell
shredding. Dead cells are stuck in the pores and they prevent
oil from leaving the skin. This creates a perfect place for acne
bacteria to grow and multiply. This quickly leads to
inflammation and spots. As you see, teen acne comes and goes
along with hormone activity during the teen years.
Now you know the facts and myths concerning teen acne.