Common ailments like acne have their share of myths. This is primarily because the occurrence of acne is commonplace and so everyone has a theory about it. One need not be a doctor to point out as to what causes acne. Some people would simply blame it on the modern day pollution while some would hold our food habits responsible. And then there are some people who would say that acne is caused because people today have started leading unhygienic lives.

Probably, many of these people are right, but they are partly right at best because there is no single cause of acne. It can occur for many reasons, and there may also be a combination of causes responsible for it.

The primary reason for acne in most of the cases is the dead cells, sebum and clogged pores. The outbreak of acne can be reduced in intensity by regular washing of face.

We have long held things like junk food and chocolates responsible for acne. However, the recent researches do not conclusively establish the connection.

Since the researches have not concluded that there is a certain connection between acne outbreaks and these foods, it cannot be said that eating chocolates and junk food can cause acne. But some researches have found that intake of iodine may cause acne outbreak. So, if you want to prevent acne, keep a check on your sea food intake because it does contain quite a generous amount of iodine.

Another myth associated with acne is that it is an adolescence problem. It is true that acne is caused mostly by hormonal imbalance, which is normally noticed during the growing-up days. But acne has been found to hit people in their 30s, too. Though it is less common in people who are older than 20 year of age, but it can occur at any stage in one's life.

Also, during pregnancy many women experience acne problem. This is because of the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. However, in such cases acne problem goes away after the delivery.

The myths associated with acne are many, and most of them are baseless. It is better to consult an expert and seek help rather than trying to find one's way through the jungle of the never-ending myths.