Busting Acne Myths Requires Individualized Treatment and More Research Written by Naweko San-Joyz
If you have acne, you know deal- everybody has a cream or suggestion to help you get clear skin. But how do you separate myth, medicine and folklore to find an acne treatment that works for you? That’s what researcher Parker Magin set out to do in a study entitled, A systematic review of evidence for ‘myths and misconceptions’ in acne management.Magin and co-researchers from University of Newcastle, New South Wales, conclude that clinicians cannot be “didactic” when making acne treatment recommendations that are based on diet, hygiene and sunlight exposure. According to Magin, acne treatments should be individualized. Meanwhile, Academy of Dermatology has published a press release touting, The Stubborn Truth About Acne: Myths and Misconceptions. Though this article discusses a recent Stanford University survey that examined acne myths held among young adults, it offers no solid advice for securing an acne antidote. Moreover, its meaning is paradoxical. For example, article headlines Alexa Boer Kimball, M.D. who is an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard University. Dr. Kimballs sums up survey on acne by saying “that substantial differences still exist between popular belief and scientific support, yet this does not change way patients attempt to care for their acne.” Dr. Kimballs’s comments at Annual Meeting of American Academy of Dermatology casts a discrediting shadow over her groundbreaking research that aimed to separate acne fact from fiction. Just two years ago in 2003, Dr. Kimball was apart of a Stanford University study investigating effect of stress on acne. Then, Dr. Kimball concluded that, “increased acne severity was significantly associated with increased stress levels… while self-assessed change in diet quality was only other significant association.” The results of this study suggested that link between acne, and diet and stress are no longer hypothetical but warrant further examination.
| | Is Milk Giving You the Zits?Written by Naweko San-Joyz
A study published in February 2005 edition of Journal of American Academy of Dermatology re-ignites acne diet controversy. The study’s director, Clement A. Adebamowo, MD, and his team reported finding a positive association between acne and milk consumption. Dr. Adebamowo based study on a 1998 high school diet questionnaires completed by 47,355 women, and data collected from physicians who, in 1989, diagnosed teenagers with severe acne.Dr. Adebamowo hypothesized that acne association with milk could arise from presence of hormones and bioactive molecules in milk. Iodine may also provoke acne flare-ups.
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