Mostly what they do know is faulty information passed on to them by friends and family.

This may cause them to try treatments that will only make acne worse, or shy away from treatments that might actually help.

Here is a look at some of the most common myths on adult acne that you should be aware of.

1: Acne is caused by poor personal hygiene.
In actuality, it is not a lack of personal hygiene that causes acne, but rather hormonal changes.

There are many times during your life when hormones change and become imbalanced, leading to acne breakouts.

The major times are during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, though some women will also have breakouts associated with their period or changing birth control methods.

Washing your face excessively will not help your acne in most cases, and in some cases the irritation and dryness from too much washing will make your acne breakout worse.

2: You cannot wear makeup if you have acne.
You can wear makeup even if you have acne breakouts; the secret is finding the right makeup products for your skin type.

If you read labels, you will find that some brands of makeup and skin care items will have the words “noncomedogenic” and “nonacnegenic” on them. This means that the produce it specially formulated to not clog your pores and cause acne pimples and cysts.

Some people will look for natural, organic, or herbal makeup formulations. However, you have to use caution, since not all of these are also noncomedogenic and nonacnegenic, so they could make your acne worse.

If you try a new type of makeup or skin product and it causes you to breakout, you should avoid using it in the future.

3: You cannot shave if you have acne.
Many men believe that they have to avoid shaving if they have acne on their face; however, this is not true.

You simply have to use more caution when shaving affected areas to avoid irritating the skin worse or causing an infection. You may also watch your shaving creams or after shave lotions, since irritations caused by these could be contributing to your acne problem.

4: Acne only happens on your face.
While the face is commonly affected by acne, it can also occur on your neck, chest, and back.

This is because of a high concentration of oil glands. In some cases, this acne can be treated using the same products that you use on your face.

5: You should ignore your acne.
If you do not treat your acne, it can become worse and leave disfiguring scars.

If you have tried products and they have failed, consult your dermatologist for the best products and treatments that will work on your individual case of acne.

If over the counter products are not working, you may need a stronger prescription medication.

Deep and painful, acne cysts can become painful and rupture, causing unsightly scars.

In adults, acne cysts can very from being severe to only being mild. Usually, they will occur on the face, neck, back, and chest.

The cysts can become quit large (over 5 mm in diameter) and painful.

Filled with pus, they are also prone to infection and may rupture.

In both teenagers and adults, acne cysts have the same cause. Bacteria get deep down in the skin, causing an infection.

This usually happens in the pores or the hair follicles, where excess oil in the skin can get trapped with dirt and debris and bacteria. Instead of the whiteheads of blackheads that are usually seen, a large cyst of inflamed lesions is seen.

On the surface of the skin, this may appear as an overly large pustule, or merely a painful red bump. However, since they are so large and painful, they are not only uncomfortable, but can be very embarrassing for the people who suffer from them.

However, it may be helpful to know that if you suffer from acne cysts, you are not alone. They can also be treated, which many patients are relieved to hear. There are a variety of treatments that you can try.

If you only suffer from a mild case of acne cysts that occurs just once in a while, then you may be able to treat it yourself with over the counter remedies or homeopathic acne remedies from your local store.

However, if the cyst is getting worse or recurs frequently, it is time to see your dermatologist. Often, your acne cyst will need to be treated with antibiotics.

These can be in a form of topical creams or oral pills, or a combination of the two. Speak to your doctor about any concerns you might have regarding side effects.

A stringent series of antibiotherapies may need to be done in order to kill off the unfriendly bacteria living in your pores, follicles, and oil glands.

In some cases, the bacteria that cause acne have become resistant to commonly used therapies. For these cases, you may need to take an oral minocyline mediation that works as a powerful anti-cyst remedy.

Whatever treatment your doctor prescribes, you must remember not to pick, pinch, or squeeze the acne cysts. While this can be quite tempting and may reply temporary relief, it actually pushes the infection deeper into the skin.

This can cause the cyst to rupture, or at the very least means that it will require more time to heal. It will also make it more likely to scar.

Your doctor can let you know if there are any changes in your lifestyle that need to be made. In some cases, severe cases of acne can be a result of hormonal imbalances that can be corrected with medication.

Other times something as simple as changing the brand of face wash that you use can help reduce the number of breakouts.

If you read everything you find about acne, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority.

A common question all preteens ask is “Can You Tell Me What To Expect when I get Acne?”

Parents, doctors and peers pool answers from information they gather from magazines, or product commercials or even commercially packaged acne preparations themselves.

They may even try to recollect what it was like when they had a pimply face way back when they were a teenager.

Acne (pimples) can occur at any age but are more commonly seen on the faces of teenagers. Acne happens due to congested pores, or appears as whiteheads and blackheads, pimples or pustules or even in the worse case scenario as cysts (deep pimples).

Blemishes can appear anywhere on the skin where there are sebaceous glands (oil glands). The most common places for breakout is the back, chest, face and neck.

Treatment is available through a dermatologist, acne preparations purchased in stores or online. A physician should be consulted if the acne is bothersome or severe.

Acne is caused when hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce oil. Male hormones from the adrenal glands of boys as well as girls stimulate the oil.

Oil has a purpose and that is to lubricate the skin and also to protect the skin, but too much oil can cause the skin to become irritated breeding ground for bacteria. The oil can cause bacteria to multiply and surround tissue, which then becomes inflamed and irritated.

The inflammation near the surface forms a pustule. Oil that breaks through to the surface and becomes oxidized changes to a blackhead. A whitehead is caused by oil that has not been oxidized.

Factors that are usually blamed for acne unfairly and that normally do not cause acne (at least by themselves) are heredity, food, dirt, stress, hormones, and also cosmetics.

Heredity is not a cause for acne because all people at one time or another experience acne to some extent.

Your acne may not appear in the same intensity as your parent’s acne did. The experience of acne can be unique for you as it was for your parents to their parents.

Food gets blamed for acne all the time especially pizza, chocolate and greasy foods such as French-fries. The truth is that these foods although they may not be as healthy for you if you eat them all the time, do not necessary cause acne.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about acne. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

Dirty skin and oily skin are two different things. Dirty skin cannot cause acne and neither does sweat cause acne. Excessive scrubbing of the skin can dry it out and irritate the skin, so does harsh soaps.

Stress does not cause pimples. People do however becomes stressed out when they get pimples. Sometimes when they stress out over the appearance of pimples, they pick at the pimples which only makes them lasts longer as they now have to wait for the pimple to heal.

Women tend to break out during their menstrual cycle but the hormones do not actually cause the acne, clogged pores and excessive oil can though which may be aggravated or stimulated by the cycle.

Cosmetics and other skin care products do not clog pores which some people used to think caused acne. However makeup and skin care products that are “water-based” or “oil-free” are generally better for your skin.

What does cause acne?

* Things that can contribute to acne besides excessive oil are: pressure from helmets, chinstraps, and also collars that can aggravate acne.

* Certain medications can worsen acne such as iodides, bromides and also oral or injected steroids.

* There are also some occupations that can aggravate the skin due to industrial chemicals in the air or exposure to oils.

There are two skin conditions that can mimic acne rosacea and pseudofolliculitis.

Rosacea is a condition that affects individuals usually in their 30′s and 40′s. There are no whiteheads or blackheads with rosacea.

Rosacea appears in the middle of the face and is usually accompanied by redness, flushing of the skin and superficial blood vessels becoming more noticeable.

Pseudofolliculitis is also called “razor bumps” or “razor rash”. The razor cutting too close to the skin causes it and curly neck hairs bend under the skin and this produces pimples.

This is not caused by acne but by a mechanical means (the razor), so it is not acne. To avoid pseudofolliculitis, do not shave as close, shave less often, or grow a beard. You can also use laser hair removal to remove the hair without the razor burn.

Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about acne. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.

When you are asked about acne, try to get current information on not only what causes acne but how to properly care for your skin while you have it.