May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so we want to take this opportunity to review how you can best protect yourself. While sunscreen provides a great first line of defense, selecting and using the right products matter.
While acne remains the leading skin condition to affect the population in the United States — approximately 50 million annually — a surprising number of myths still surround the problem.
At Specialists in Dermatology PLLC, our team of dedicated and experienced skin experts helps our patients with a wide range of skin conditions, from moles and melanomas to aging and acne. Of these issues, acne ranks among the most common, and the most frustrating, conditions to cope with, especially since there’s so much misinformation swirling around.
To help clear the air — and potentially your face — we want to shed some light on acne by highlighting a few myths that you shouldn’t believe.
Acne is linked with puberty, which means adolescents, teenagers, and young adults are more susceptible — in fact, 85% of people ages 12-24 have some experience with acne.
But this isn’t to say that adults don’t get acne. Adult acne is increasingly common, and up to 15% of adult women have some degree of acne in their 30s and 40s, and even beyond.
Several factors drive acne, including:
Many people believe that dirt and debris play a role when, in fact, dirty skin has little effect on your acne. While that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care in cleaning your skin, you should avoid scrubbing your face during an outbreak as this may only lead to further irritation.
The link between diet and acne isn’t fully understood, but researchers believe that there’s a connection, but not the one you may have been led to believe. For example, greasy foods don’t lead to acne, but high-glycemic foods that cause your blood sugar levels to spike may exacerbate the skin condition. These foods include:
When you eat high-glycemic foods, you cause a sudden rise in your blood sugar, which can lead to an inflammatory response in your body, including increased oil production, which worsens acne.
The belief that a little sun exposure can help dry out and clear up your acne isn’t only false, it can do more harm to your already beleaguered skin. Prolonged exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays is enemy No. 1 when it comes to your skin, and there’s no evidence to support that it does anything to clear up your acne.
Given the amount of misinformation about acne, the best way to fight the skin condition is to have one of our dermatologic experts take a look so that they can get you started on an appropriate treatment plan, which may include:
If you’re struggling with acne, contact one of our three locations in the Tucson, Arizona, area to get on the road to clear skin.
You Might Also Enjoy...
May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so we want to take this opportunity to review how you can best protect yourself. While sunscreen provides a great first line of defense, selecting and using the right products matter.
Are you ready to take the next step toward younger-looking skin with fewer visible lines and wrinkles? Here’s what you need to know about cosmetic injectables and bruising. Learn these important tips to prevent bruising and maximize results.
Do you frequently have red, swollen, itchy eyelids? This could mean that you have eczema on your eyelids. Learn the symptoms and discover how to remedy eyelid eczema to get long-term relief from irritated eyes.
Your skin is one of the first things people notice about you. Are you looking to improve your 2020 skin care game? Here are some helpful lifestyle tips to give you great skin that will last all year round.
Virtually every adult has a few moles somewhere on their body. For most, these will never be an issue, even though the moles may change slightly in appearance over time. More rapid change, however, can be a sign of developing skin cancer.
