yep...thats all just a myth my dermatologist said..he said eat as much pizza as you like, so long as you wash your face the pizza itself will not cause acne..the only way it could is it you got really messy and got pizza grease all over your face and didnt wash it and it clogged your pours...ew...but no, the foods you eat don't CAUSE acne

I'm sure certain things can make acne worse, definitely stress can. If your body isn't at its best health it will be harder for it to fight off acne, Im sure. But diet, excersice, hygiene cannot cause nor cure acne!

I've had mild to moderate acne since I was 12. I'm a very clean person, I wash my face and use high-end gentle blemish fighting products regularly. I've tried all of them! And I've been through a whole list of perscription meds for acne, they do nothing. I eat very well, I never eat fast food, rarly eat "junk food". I take multi-vitamins everyday. I drink plenty of water, its pretty much all I ever drink. And I exercise daily. I don't smoke. I take good care of myself, my appearence, and my health. Yet ten years later, I STILL have acne.

So no, I really don't think having an unhealthy lifestyle causes acne. Getting rid of acne is not as easy as eating well and drinking water.

I think it is hormonal and/or genetic. I am super sensitive to anything, especially BC pills that mess with hormones, and my ance gets worse when I'm pms-ing. Also, both my parents had acne as teenagers, and my mom still gets breakouts.

Hi I am a Spa Therapist and provide skin care advice and also facials as one of my spa treatments.

And NOPE Chocolate and other foods don’t cause acne. Acne is usually caused by internal factors such as hormones, family history and also bacteria. A good skin care routine with proper products will help to prevent acne. Make sure to exfoliate your skin once a week, remove all makeup each night,
stay away from products containing:
NO Alcohol
No Lanolin
No Mineral Oil
No Artificial Colours
NO Fragrances
Non-Comedogenic

The product I use and sell is called Pevonia if you live in Canada and want more information on the product let me know.
Also taking the right vitamins and over all health can also help with acne. So for sure its important to eat healthy foods, but the bad ones don’t cause acne.

The only way a food such as chocolate would cause acne would be if you have the oil from the chocolate on your hands and then touch your face. The extra oil can clog pores. So wash your hands often, and avoid touching your face.

So EAT CHOCOLATE AND ENJOY IT lol

Yall do know there are different types/severities of acne right?

Acne vularis (types) and the preferred treatments (Copyied from Wikipedia Article)

Comedonal (non-inflammatory) acne: local treatment with azelaic acid, salicylic acid, topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide.

Mild papulo-pustular (inflammatory) acne: benzoyl peroxide or topical retinoids, topical antibiotics (such as erythromycin).

Moderate inflammatory acne: benzoyl peroxide or topical retinoids combined with oral antibiotics (tetracyclines). Isotretinoin is an option.

Severe inflammatory acne, nodular acne, acne resistant to the above treatments: isotretinoin also known as Accutane, can be prescribed by a doctor, or contraceptive pills with cyproterone for females with virilization or drospirenone.

I was diagnosed with nodular acne. I was prescribed Accutane by my dermatologist, and took it for 8 weeks. I have not had an 'outbreak' since.

All in all, the medication is expensive, and it does require a dermatologist to prescribe, so you're going to have to get your finances and coverage in order if you are looking to treat nodular acne.

Also, fellas. DON'T attempt to take contraceptive pills for women as a treatment for your acne, as female hormones can literally KILL YOU!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I took Accutane 8 years ago, so I have not had an outbreak for the past 8 years.

I also have nodular acne that is resistant to everything!

Accutane is so scary though. It has so many side effects, some of them pretty severe... like the whole suicide thing!

As someone who is over-sensitive to medications and always gets those "in very rare cases" side effects, including from birth control pills, SSRIs, and most anti-biotics even, Accutane is totally out of the question.

What other options do I have?

Hey...ehm..just to clear somethings up in regards to your post...
Myth-1- Soap is not appropriate to wash your face with, no matter how mild, it is too harsh for any skin type- instead use a suitable cleanser, toner and moisturiser for an oily/combination skin and exfoiliate weekly.

Myth-2- Although Ance may not be directly affectd by certain foods, following a healthy balanced diet will help improve your skin condition

Myth-3- Acne can be caused by stress, but only on certain area- jawline,hairline, etc.

Myth-4- Yes acne can leave scars, only if you pick/squeeze, but having spots around a certain area (jawline, hairline, etc) can indicate internal problems- stress, urinary disorders etc.

Myth-5- Ance can be caused by hormonal changes, e.g- puberty- and CAN clear up when hormones 'settle'
The best option would too se a dermatoiligst and use suitable cleanser, toner and moistuiser and to steer clear of certain steriod creams, tablets to clear up acne- although they do work- they can cause excessive hair growth, and even cause skin to flake off.

I am a beauty therapist and have studied this topic in detail, so i know my stuff!

Don't think there's a single point there that's true - most antibiotics do not come from bacteria! Most come from plants that have evolved chemicals to help stave off bacteria. Tea tree, eucalyptus, ginger... all are powerful antibacterials. And the definition of "natural" is occurring in nature - if it's produced in a laboratory, it's synthetic, not natural.

hi everybody!!

actually i believe to those myths or saying but i dont think that its true.Its a matter of taking care of yourself and sticking to a good healthy lifestyle

So true! I eat wisely, workout daily, get enough sun and still I have acne!!! And these suckers are persistent. They stay a long time and when they finally disappear (if they do), they leave ugly brown scar behind. Frustrating.

This is all just not true. Stress and a diet are a huge cause of acne. Studies have shown that dairy affects acne because it triggers the sebaceous gland and produces more oil. Stress also is a huge factor, the average acne sufferer has clogged pores that they can't even see. Stress has an inflammatory response in the body and can cause the walls of these pores to literally break. When this happens, the body's response is redness around the broken pore, and an influx of pus (a zit). Also, when we are stressed, our adrenal gland goes into overdrive. Androgens (male hormones), which are made in this gland, increase. Increased androgens can lead to more acne.

One helpful tip, if you use foundation to cover your acne, don't use your fingers to get it out of the bottle unless you wash them well with anti-bacterial soap. Try to find some that comes in a pump or squirt bottle. Also wash your face and use an astringent before applying. And try using a brush or sponge to blend it in rather than your fingers. Doing these things probally wont cure your acne but I know from experience the vicious cycle of using liquid foundation to cover your zits. The more you use it, the worse your skin gets. Then when you don't use it for a while, your skin looks a little better. Then when you use it again your skin looks so great you start using it again and so on and so on.

Hello everyone,

This is really a great post. But ii think the myth saying that acne is caused due to poor hygiene is a bit real, because poor hygiene can actually cause acne.

Poor hygiene can cause acne, but not as much as environment and genetics. I know people who use the worst and cheapest scrubs out there on their face, they smoke, and drink and they have very nice skin. So acne isn't always caused by poor hygiene.

Yes i totally agree with you "environment and genetics" are two of the biggest causes of acne.

Can you provide here any resource or an article url of Acne Myths ?