5 Myths about Adult Acne

Almost everyone has acne as a teenager, thinking that once they are an adult, these annoying outbreaks will stop. Unfortunately, for many people, adult acne can continue well past the teen years and even their twenties. For such a common condition, there are still many myths about acne breakouts and treatment that are not based in fact. Here are five common myths about adult acne.

  1. Breakouts are caused by chocolate. There is no hard evidence that eating chocolate or any other specific item causes acne. Hormonal changes in the body can make a person crave chocolate and produce acne, but the chocolate is not causing the acne.
  2. Acne is caused by not cleansing enough. While filthy skin can become clogged and have acne, adults that clean their skin one or more times a day are not getting acne due to uncleanliness.
  3. Popping a pimple to make it heal. One of the best ways to create an acne scar is to pick or try to pop a pimple. Leave it alone. If a pimple really needs to be gone, fast, see a dermatologist for an injection to make it smaller.
  4. Sunscreen can make acne worse. Sunscreen is too important to forego to try and avoid acne. While some chemical sunscreens can cause heat bumps, others like zinc oxide do not cause acne or make it worse.
  5. It will eventually go away. Bad news. Many people still have adult acne in their 50’s. However, there is no reason to live with adult acne for decades. Dermatologists have effective treatments that are available to rid the skin of adult acne for good.

Posted on behalf of:
Medical Dermatology Specialists
875 Johnson Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30342
(404) 939-9220

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