When people see a person with acne, they like to offer their wisdom on the subject. They are trying to help. They tell the person everything they need to do and to avoid in order to get rid of their acne. They do not realize that they are doing more harm than good. They are placing blame on the person for his or her acne, when the causes may have nothing to do with the things that person is doing.

The most common myth about acne almost makes sense. It is that you can clear up acne by washing your face more often or scrubbing it harder. The thinking is that your face is greasy and oily, so cleaning it will get rid of the problem. Also, if you have blackheads, it may look like your face is actually dirty.

This myth is not true. Any grease or oil on your face will be increased by scrubbing the skin. That is because the scrubbing stimulates the sebaceous glands. If you wash frequently, especially if you do it vigorously, you will irritate your pores and cause more problems not less.

Another myth people use to lay blame on acne sufferers is the old one that eating chocolate or greasy foods causes acne. The fact is that no one food is actually the culprit when it comes to causing acne. Cocoa has no affect. Some people will be bothered by the fats in chocolate, while others will not. It is really a personal thing. It is better to pay attention to what bothers you personally than to listen to a list someone else gives you.

Many people think that if they go to a tanning booth or to the beach to get some sun, their acne will clear up. There is much disagreement as to whether this is true or not. Some say that the sun makes acne worse, while others tout it as a treatment for acne.

One myth that has caused many people pain is that a pimple needs to be popped. People may have the opinion that popping the pimple will get out what is clogging the pores. They may feel that this will correct the situation.

It is true that when you pop a zit, it may look better for a little while. What you may not realize is that it will get worse in time and you will have it longer. When you pop the pimple, bacteria will go further into the tissues of the skin. You may end up with a brown or red mark that will last for several months. Worse yet, you could have a scar that would never go away.

A myth that is partly true is that you should not wear makeup if you have acne. There are special makeup products for people who have acne. They are called nonacnegenic or noncomedogenic. If you have acne you should stick to these types of makeup. However, even if you use this kind of makeup, you may have problems if your acne is very severe. In that case, your doctor will either tell you what kind of makeup to use, or will discuss your treatment options with you so that you will soon be able to wear makeup again.

One myth you may have heard is that acne has something to do with sex. The rumors abound. Some say young boys get acne because of masturbation. Some indicate that acne is a sign of sexual frustration. Others claim that acne will stop after you have a sexual encounter or that the opposite is true and it will start at that time. The truth is that sex has nothing to do with acne.

One final myth is that acne scars will go away on their own over time. If you have deep acne scars, they will be with you for life if you do nothing. There are ways to eliminate scars if you go to a dermatologist. They will not vanish magically.