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’s surface and that only a mild washing of the face is in
order, often accompanied with specific solutions prescribed for
treating the acne by a dermatologist.
Vigorous washing of the face, particularly with harsh soaps, can lead to a further irritation of the tissue.
There is, in part, a bacteriological condition that contributes to acne and it is below the surface.

Another idea is that acne is caused by stress. Scientific research
seems to indicate that stress alone probably does not lead to acne, but
it may be aggravated by stress. But, unfortunately, acne can result
from certain prescriptions that are used to treat stress. So, if you
are on certain drugs related to stress, you should certain talk to your
dermatologist, the appropriate type of physician for dealing with this
problem. According to Doctor James Fulton, a pioneer in the treatment
of acne, lithium, a substance sometimes used in profound psychological
disorders,  can aggravate an acne condition.

Another myth that can lead to profoundly unpleasant consequences is
that one should let acne run its course, “grow out of it.” As I myself
know too well, acne can linger for years and get worse and worse. At
the end of my experience, my acne was very disfiguring and covered my
whole face and part of my neck. It was hard to keep my hands off this
uncomfortable, scaly, itchy and sore condition.  I was certainly a
candidate for scarring. I had a kind of skin emergency and I am glad
that my parents were smart enough and lucky enough to get me to the
right place at the right time.

Can acne be the consequence of poor nutrition? I think the jury may be
out on this one, but, for myself, I came to believe that my excessive
eating of chocolate and a lot of sugar products were contributing
factors to my acne. But, in my case, I did not see any correlation
before my medical treatment and it was clearly medical intervention
that helped me. There are certainly many naturopathically oriented
practitioners and some medical doctors that share this view, though.
Not everything in medicine is a hundred percent clear cut and every
acne victim should certainly research all the alternatives.

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