Why Acne Can Have Nothing to Do With Your Personal Hygiene

Introduction

One of the most common myths that have been circulating throughout popular culture is the idea that somebody with acne is a necessarily unhygienic person. We’re sure you’ve heard some variation of the story at one point or another, whether that’s somebody being told they should wash their face more often to a snide comment made in a television show.

When you get down to the facts, however, it turns out that there’s a whole lot more to acne than how much you’re able to keep your face clean. For one thing, it’s strongly hereditary, even though there’s no one gene in particular that causes it; for another, there are completely different kinds of acne, each with its own set of causes.

In the following article, we’ll be getting into some more detail about the different kinds of acne and how they can be caused, which — as you’ll soon see — can often have nothing to do with personal hygiene and everything to do with the fact that acne is a medical condition. We’ll also talk about how Accutane can solve the problem, even though it can have some mild side effects such as dryness of skin and dry eyes.

Standard Acne and the Myth of the Clean Face

Acne vulgaris is the most common kind of acne and the one that’s most widely talked about in the media. Part of the reason people think not washing your face is why you have acne is because, with acne vulgaris, pores can become clogged with sebum and dead skin cells that have to be flushed out for new skin cells to grow.

Treatment for acne vulgaris can take the form of topical medications, which typically come in the form of creams that need to be applied regularly. However, treatment can also come in the form of Accutane, which is a pill that you need to take twice a day — it has some side effects but they’re mild and will subside soon after treatment begins. In both cases, it’s a good idea to try to keep your face as clean as possible, but that shouldn’t be confused with an unclean face being the cause of the acne itself.

Other Forms of Acne

As well as acne vulgaris, there are other forms of acne that can transpire, although neither of them comes about because of an unclean face either. Acne mechanica, as we discussed in an earlier blog post, is often found in athletes, as it arises from excessive amounts of friction. Acne fulminans is another kind of acne that usually comes on very abruptly in adolescent young men. It can be treated like other forms of acne, but it’s more likely to produce pain, particularly in the joints. Acne fulminans is severe, but it’s also very rare, and most people simply don’t develop it at any point.

In the case of acne mechanica, it’s unlikely that hygiene has much to do with it since athletes are likely to shower more often on account of their training. The other variant, acne fulminans, has a hormonal cause, and although it can result in scarring and painful lesions, it can happen to anybody, irrespective of their personal hygiene situation.

Educate

If you come across somebody who mentions the idea that acne means somebody needs to wash their face, it may be a good idea to gently point them in the direction of this article or other sources of information. Despite the myth not being grounded in reality, it’s pervasive, and the spread of misinformation like that can cause stress to impressionable members of society, such as adolescents and college students.

Acne is socially isolating enough as it is, and the last thing we need is extra ammunition to be added to the stigma. The good news is that with a more thorough education, there’s a good chance the myth of the unclean face can be done away with completely.

Conclusion

Although it’s important to maintain high standards of personal hygiene, particularly with regards to your face, it’s not correct to say that somebody with acne just needs to go and wash their face.

Acne is a condition that has many possible causes, and it can present in a number of different ways. There are treatments available, however, and if you’ve been having a hard time battling your acne into submission, it might be a good idea to take our quick quiz and find out if Accutane could be the missing piece of your puzzle, even with its side effects. It’ll only take a few minutes, and then you’ll know whether you’re a good candidate for Accutane or not.

If there are any other questions you might have about acne, hygiene, or Accutane and its side effects feel free to send them to the team here at AcneXpert. We’d love to help out in any way we can.