TOP 5 ACNE MYTHS DEBUNKED

MYTH #1

“YOU JUST HAVE TO GET THROUGH ACNE.”

FACT: “If acne is impacting your daily life, making you feel stressed, embarrassed, angry, sad, ashamed, if you don’t want to go out with friends or go to school, or if you notice scarring, there is no need to suffer through it. Get medical help. Almost every case of acne can be successfully treated.”

MYTH #2

“ACNE WILL GO AWAY ON ITS OWN.”

FACT: “While most teens get mild acne, three in 10 young people get moderate acne where medical help is needed to get the condition under control and limit the risk of scarring. This type of acne will not usually go away on its own. It may worsen as teens get older.”

MYTH #3

“ACNE IS JUST PIMPLES.”

FACT: “There is a lot of research showing the emotional effects of acne. It can cause everything from bad moods and social anxiety to depression. The rate of depression among acne patients is 10 percent. Another effect is acne scars which are permanent, lifelong markers of bad acne. One in two teens get acne scarring on the face.”

MYTH #4

“NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT ACNE.”

FACT: “There are safe and effective acne treatments available in Canada that can get acne under control. While acne lasts an average of two years, medical treatments, in comparison, take a couple of months to show a 50 to 70 percent reduction in acne spots.”

MYTH #5

“ACNE IS CAUSED BY STRESS, SWEAT OR DIET.”

FACT: “Acne is caused by rising hormone levels that make the skin’s oil-producing glands enlarge and secrete more oil. The excess oil combines with dead skin cells to plug the skin pores. There is also a genetic component to acne. Those with a family history of severe acne are more likely to get it at an earlier age and develop severe acne. Some prescription medications such as certain contraceptives, prednisone, lithium and anabolic steroids can trigger acne. Stress, sweat and certain diets may make acne worse, but are not the root cause. Changes you make in these areas will likely help, but for more serious acne, you have to deal with the underlying causes.”