Well, not necessarily. Even adults find themselves plagued with acne, despite keeping clean skin and a relatively healthy diet.

But why ... and how do you STOP the damage?

There are options. First, make sure you're not sabotaging all hope of achieving lasting clear skin with the following 5 blunders.

Are you guilty?

Acne Treatment Don't #1: The "Squeaky Clean" Regime.

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Of course it's very important to maintain clean skin, especially when suffering from acne. But realize that even people with very clean skin develop acne, so "dirty skin" can't be the only cause.

In fact, OVERcleansing can lead to aggravation, redness, flaky, peeling skin, and can even cause your skin to produce MORE oil to compensate for the natural oils stripped away by excessive cleansing.

TIP: The vast majority of people, with acne or otherwise, benefit from cleansing the skin 2 to 3 times daily, tops. Any more often and you run the serious risk of making your acne worse!

Acne Treatment Don't #2: Chemical Cocktail Hell.

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"Benzoyl peroxide"... "Salicylic acid"... "Isotretinoin" (e.g., Accutane)...

Why do we feel it's okay to ingest or slather ourselves with harsh potions and lotions containing chemicals we can't even pronounce?

True, these potions, lotions, pills and injections can sometimes appear to relieve acne fast. But more often than not, they can also cause any number of nasty side effects ranging from severely dry, flaky skin... to liver damage... to severe depression ... and even *suicidal tendencies*.

Yikes.

As if the very thought of applying "acid" to our bodies wasn't scary enough, the possible side effects of some of these topical and oral supposed "acne miracle drugs" are definitely enough to make us reconsider!

Acne Treatment Don't #3: Too Much Elbow Grease.

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Yes, exfoliation in and of itself can be very important in your battle with acne, as it helps unblock already clogged pores and prevents the blockage of healthy ones. But by contrast, OVERexfoliation -- rough treatment, harsh scrubs and scrub brushes, excessive rubbing, scraping, or picking, etc. -- achieves the opposite effect.

It aggravates the skin, making the problem much worse.

Not only can excessive exfoliation increase breakouts, it can also cause embarrassing, unsightly scars and indentations which might never fully heal.

So ... gently, please. ;-)

Acne Treatment Don't #4: A Failure to Act.

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Unless your acne is purely hormonal (i.e., a symptom of PMS), it won't just go away on its own. In fact, the longer you wait to cure your acne, the harder it gets to do so.

It's much easier to cure mild-to-moderate acne than it is to cure severe acne. Although, in every case, curing it CAN still be done when you commit to using the right methods.

Acne Treatment Don't #5: The "Band-Aid Theory" Blunder.

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Keeping clean, gently exfoliated skin will not clear or prevent your acne on its own. Many people fail to realize and accept the INTERNAL factors which cause acne, which can range from hormones, genetics, diet, stress, and more -- root causes of the problem.

---> *REAL TALK*

Long-term use of over-the-counters and topicals to cure and prevent acne is like continuing to pop pain killers to soothe the pain of a dislocated shoulder -- instead of goin' to get that sucker popped back into place!

Sure you're not in as much pain -- maybe no pain at ALL so long as you keep taking painkillers.

But because you haven't attacked the root of the problem, *a part of your body is still "broken"* ... not to mention the fact that you continue to pay out the wazoo regularly to maintain your pain killer stash.

---> *REAL TALK*

That's no way to live.

This same concept can be applied to permanently ridding yourself of acne. You'll save money and will feel healthier once you FIX that "break" in your system that's causing your breakouts.

To permanently achieve *lasting*, blemish-free skin, you need to fight this battle at the root, attacking as many of the causes of your acne at once instead of relying solely on external means of elimination and prevention.

Good luck!