How To Get Rid Of Acne Scars

The best way to get rid of acne scars is to not have them in the first place! This article goes into some of the myths about acne and how it can be prevented.

Acne has been around for a long time, and unsurprisingly there are many myths that have spring up about it. Some of these come from misunderstandings, others come from people assuming that doing something works because they’ve been told without actually researching it. In this way the myth gets passed on down generations and is very difficult to stop.

Acne is caused by an unwashed face

Acne isn’t caused by dirt, and spots aren’t caused by the skin at the top being clogged. This blockage occurs further down inside the skin and so frequently washing doesn’t do any good. In fact in some cases it may make the situation worse as it can cause irritation to the glands. You should wash your face gently twice a day but no more than that. Of course acne scars are caused by the acne and hence they will not be prevented by frequent washing. Washing also won’t help existing acne scars.

Chocolate causes acne

A very common myth is that acne or spots are caused by eating too much chocolate. Luckily, this isn’t true, although that doesn’t make chocolate a healthy option! A small amount of chocolate is thought to actually be beneficial to spots as it causes people to relax with theoretically reduces the chance of getting acne. There is no conclusive evidence of this that we are aware of at this time though so it’s probably best to stick to a healthy diet with chocolate in moderation.

Diet causes acne

There is a definite link between diet and acne, hold on wasn’t this meant to be a myth though? The truth is although we know that there is a link, the actual link is not yet known. It certainly can’t hurt your overall health to eat healthily but it may or may not help your acne and it wont help your acne scars.

The bottom line is, make sure you talk to your doctor about your acne so that you know you are getting the facts without the usual myths that go along with acne. We have all been guilty or propagating myths at some point or another so it’s easy to happen, but your doctor or dermatologist will be able to give you the right information for your condition.

Acne is an extremely common problem amongst people worldwide, although Western culture seems to have a bigger problem with it than most, perhaps due to our diet and lifestyle. It strikes often in our teenage years - generally our most insecure stage - which means it can cause a large amount of stress. In fact stress is thought to cause acne to worsen so it can often be a vicious cycle. I’m sure many of us remember feeling conscious of our face and bodies when we were teenagers - many of us still do - and for people with acne this only makes the situation harder to deal with.

Acne is caused by the polosebaceous unit which is made up of several different parts - hair follicles, hair and the sebaceous gland. These are found almost everywhere in the body but there is a larger density of them on the face and neck, hence why acne often occurs in these places while not on other parts of the body. When we go through adolescence the Sebaceous gland produce too much of a secretion called sebum due to an increased amount of Male hormones in the body at this time. This in turn causes them to enlarge and hence spots begin to form on the face and neck of the person with acne. Just because these are male hormones that trigger it doesn’t mean the problem is confined just to men, as during adolescence both male and female people have an increased amount of this hormone in their body.

The skin of the body normally has all types of bacteria covering it, but when people have acne there is an increased amount of certain bacteria on the skin which causes the body to try and heal these areas. This is a complicated process but results in inflammation which causes the red bumps that people with acne have on their face.

Whiteheads are caused when the hair follicles are obstructed in the skin. Science hasn’t completely determined why this happens yet, but it does more so with people who are suffering from acne. When this happens the sebum gets trapped and can’t get out, causing a build up and in the end whiteheads and blackheads on the skin.

Usually the production of sebum decreases once we pass the age of 20 so for most people acne will start to go away at this time. However it can leave scars on the skin and in some cases it may progress beyond this age - everyone is different. As always if you are concerned about your acne you should visit a doctor who will be able to advise you on the best course of action for you personally.