Acne is a common skin condition, which can be extremely mild or quite disfiguring. Having had a rather bad case as a young adolescent, I know the kind of socially embarrassing consequences it can have for the victim but I also remember it being sore and painful, filling my life with discomfort. It lingered a long time until I went to a dermatologist who used a type of freezing process, mechanically removing excessive puss from the lesions in relatively non-painful way. There were also topical notions. The result was total success, without scarring.

Until I went to a dermatologist, though, there was little or no gain in getting rid of this foul condition. I, like other children, were subject to disturbing concepts of its origins. Although this was a long time ago, these myths have stayed around- often causing grave delays in seeking treatment.

One of the myths is that acne is caused by everyday dirt and surface oil on the skin and that the solution is frequent and vigorous washing of the skin. Vigorous washing of the face to cure acne is a myth. The fact is- the problems that have caused chronic acne are deeper, beneath the skin