Almost everyone has been desperate to rid themselves of acne during at least one period of their lives. Acne is a common skin problem that the majority of humans struggle through during their teenage years and beyond. Unfortunately, much of the information regarding acne and acne treatment is actually downright wrong. Keep yourself informed and continue reading to discover seven acne myths you should know.

1. Bad Hygiene Causes Acne

Washing your face is an important step in reducing and preventing acne, but the amount of dirt that’s on your skin really isn’t responsible for creating acne. It’s important to wash your face twice daily and after exercising or sweating.

However, additional face washes can actually worsen your acne problem by confusing your skin’s natural oil production. If you feel like your face is excessively oily between washings throughout the day, try rinsing your skin with lukewarm water and no soap.

2. Acne is a Teen Problem

Acne is often considered to be exclusively a teenage problem, which can make adults who suffer from acne feel especially self-conscious. In reality, however, the majority of adults still suffer from acne. While acne is often more common and severe within teenagers due to hormonal imbalances, it frequently still remains an issue within full-grown adults due to various non-hormonal factors.

3. Popping Pimples Gets Rid Of Them

Popping pimples can be one of the most tempting things in this world. However, popping your pimples almost never actually eliminates them. It just makes them angrier and causes them to develop a new, irritated head. Plus, it can leave visible acne scars behind. No matter how tempting it is, always try to avoid the urge to pop your pimples. Leave them be, and they will eventually go away.

4. Toothpaste Eliminates Acne

Putting toothpaste over your pimples is one of the most timeless acne “remedies”. While toothpaste can dry up pimples, causing them to shrivel and look smaller, it’s not the best acne elimination technique. Because toothpaste is so drying for your skin, it can actually worsen your acne problems in the long run.

5. Acne Is On The Surface

Many people think that, because you can see pimples on the surface of your skin, acne is a surface problem. However, acne is actually a complex, chronic skin problem that originates beneath your skin.

When you realize that acne goes much deeper than the pimples you see on the surface of your skin, you can start treating the problem more effectively and stop focusing so much on spot treatments.

6. Opening Your Pores Helps Cure Acne

The simple notion that pores can open at all is a complete myth. Pores do not open or close, so trying to open up your pores is absolutely fruitless. However, certain techniques, such as steaming and exfoliation, can helps reduce acne and make your pores appear smaller by softening and clearing the debris within them.

7. Exfoliating Gets Rid of Acne

This myth is both true and false. While gently exfoliating your skin can be helpful at reducing your acne, exfoliation isn’t always the answer. For those with sensitive skin that is easily irritated or dried out, exfoliating can actually worsen your acne problem.

Plus, you should never exfoliate your skin by scrubbing it harshly. Instead, massage exfoliator gently into your skin no more than two or three times per week to slough off dead skin cells and help reduce your acne problem.

Acne is frustrating, and it’s even more frustrating that much of what is regarded common knowledge regarding the skin problem is actually inaccurate. If you’re struggling with treating your acne, use this post to learn about seven acne myths you should know before you get discouraged.