What Does The Sun Really Do For Acne?
At one time or another you’ve probably heard the myth about the sun and acne -- the one that says if you sit out in the sun or make use of a sunlamp your acne will subside or go away. Unfortunately, though people would like to believe the rumor is true, the sun probably isn’t the best cure for an acne-plagued complexion. In fact, exposing your skin to the sun could be much more harmful than you think.
Where’d All This Sun Business Come From?
One of the main lines of reasoning behind the sun myth is that prolonged sunlight exposure will dry out the skin and, thereby, decrease the amount and severity of acne blemishes. Now while this may hold true to an extremely minor degree, the reality is that any inkling of benefit that could be derived from the sun is severely counterbalanced by the negative impacts that result from too much sun exposure. When you add this to the fact that skin oil production actually increases during the summer months, sitting in the sun no longer seems like such a great idea.
What You Don’t Know Can Kill You
Now that we have touched on the misguided reasoning, let’s deal with some of the reasons why sun exposure is harmful. First and foremost is skin cancer. Too much exposure to the sun increases your chances of contracting this horrible skin disorder. That fact, coupled with the knowledge that premature aging is also a factor is enough to make most people see the light. If you’re still not convinced that the sun isn’t good for your acne, take note of the fact that acne sufferers on prescription medications (whether they are oral or topical) need to be aware that their sensitivity to ultraviolet light may be significantly increased by those medications, thereby compounding the negative effects of sunlight and sunlamps on their skin.
A Word To The Wise
All too often we try to find the easiest and simplest ways of taking care of our problems. While this is not always a bad thing to do, it is not always a good thing either. Most of us know that the best way to do things is the smart way, which may not always be the easiest way. Remember this when pursuing acne remedies and treatments.