Another mistaken concept or half-truth is that acne is caused solely by poor skin hygiene. Parents especially seem to have the idea that if you use plenty of soap and water on your skin, you will have no acne problem. “Have you washed your face?” may be a very common and tiresome question heard about your home. Fre­quently a patient, when first consulting a skin specialist, will remark that he cannot understand why he should have acne since he washes his face so carefully four or five times a day. Examination of such a patient’s skin is likely to reveal not only acne, but evidence of irritation from scrubbing and perhaps from strong soaps. While it is true that a great deal can be done to improve your appearance by sensible attention to the cleanliness of the skin, this alone is not the solution to acne. First of all, you must learn how to take proper care of your skin. Secondly, the correct care for your skin must be com­bined with other treatment.

The general public is becoming more and more in­formed about how the body functions and the treat­ment of disease. Perhaps you have heard or read some­where that we have certain glands vital to the normal function of our body which swing into action at the beginning of adolescence. Since acne usually starts at about this same time, you may have heard people say, “There’s something wrong with your glands.” The real medical basis for this statement will be explained later. Here, I only wish to say that nothing but disappointment and perhaps harm will result if you attempt to apply this kind of knowledge to your own problem.

It is regrettable that some young people who have become desperate over their complexion problem still go to so-called “gland specialists” (who are not even physicians) to take costly and, at the very best, questionable treat­ments. Or they buy “complexion remedies” which sup­posedly contain some sort of glandular substance. If you believe the claims made for these products, they will put an end to acne promptly, painlessly and permanently. Such claims are only attempts to take advantage of un­wary victims of acne.

In a manner which is misleading and grossly misrepre­sented, “sex” has been connected with acne in the minds of some people. It is easy to understand why. Acne is most common in that age group in which sexual curiosity and experience are on the ascent. It is not surprising, therefore, that a relationship between sex and acne would be suspected by some. One of the mistaken ideas you may have heard is that acne is due to the lack of sexual activity and experience. On the other hand, there are equally strong claims that it is due to sexual overindul­gence and dissipation, perhaps in the form of mastur­bation.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “When you grow up and get married your acne will go away”? Let’s talk about this for a moment. While it is true that marriage makes our lives more complete sexually as well as in other ways, it is not by any means the solution to acne.

What I mean is illustrated by one young lady who was twenty years old when I first saw her. She had suffered since she was thirteen years old with very severe acne over the face, chest and back. Despite the scarring it had left, she was a pretty girl. I have always had a great deal of admiration for this young lady because despite the damage that acne had caused to her skin, she was an at­tractive person with a cheerful disposition. If she felt bitter about the misfortune to her complexion, she did not show it. At the age of twenty-two she married a fine young man. I felt that I knew both of them well and this seemed like a good marriage because there was mu­tual respect and love. Despite this, her acne was very stubborn in responding to treatment. So as you can see, it is not right to assume that just as soon as you find a mate, your acne will clear up by itself.

While it is true that starting with adolescence you are increasingly aware of mature sexual impulses, acne is not related to sex in the sense of too much or too little sexual activity. These old-fashioned ideas only further confuse young men and women who are trying to understand the sensations which they feel within themselves.

In our schools and homes sexual matters are all too frequently cloaked in secrecy and mystery. The mere mention of this subject is to some a source of embarrass­ment. Therefore, if you have heard that acne is due to some aspect of your sexual life, you may have feelings of shame about your eruption, especially if it is on your face where everyone can see it. It is not any wonder that you find yourself in a dilemma. Where can you turn for guidance? What are you doing or not doing that is caus-ing the eruption? It seems that the more you try to sup­press these deep feelings, the more intense they become. Your sexual impulses become a thing of worry and fear, instead of a normal, accepted part of maturing. As we go along, this subject will come up again because a good understanding of the sexual part of your life is vital to your happiness. For the time being, be reassured that your sexual conduct is not causing your eruption.

And finally, there is one last myth to be dispelled about the cause of acne. Acne occurs with such great frequency in the teens and twenties that most everyone has had some sign of it, no matter how small. This has usually led some wise old relative who has watched sev­eral generations of children become adults to comment, “It’s just a part of growing up,” or “Leave it alone, you’ll grow out of it.” As with many observations by our elders there is a lot of truth in this. Acne is, in a sense, a part of growing up. However, just because acne occurs with such frequency that it is considered almost normal, one cannot conclude that it should be ignored. Measles is also an experience almost everyone has had; neverthe­less, it is an unpleasant experience and occasionally a serious one. Similarly, if severe acne is left to be out­grown, you can go through a miserable period while waiting, to say nothing of always regretting the after­effects.

Misinformation of this sort, while sometimes well meant, unfortunately is of no real help to you who have acne. If anything, it only confuses you as you try one remedy after another. The mirage of a clear skin is always before you. The hope never dies that this time you have found the answer to your complexion problem. The only thing that ever does happen is that your medi­cine cabinet becomes filled to overflowing and many a harmless sweet tooth goes unsatisfied for fear of awaken­ing the next morning with a brand-new “pimple.”