Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease of the sebaceous units of the hair follicles. It mainly occurs in adolescents and has a great psychological and social impact on them, but it can often be naturally reduced or cured after puberty. Clinical manifestations are characterized by polymorphic lesions such as pimples, papules, pustules, and nodules, which are commonly found on the face. Common misconceptions about acne Myth #1: Increased washing can clear acne Dirt does not cause facial discoloration. Contrary to commercial propaganda, pores are not clogged by surface dirt. It is the clogging of the follicle walls deep in the skin that is the cause of acne. Not only does excessive washing not prevent acne from occurring, but it can lead to clogging of the follicle opening. Scrubbing with a towel can also inflame the pores. The best method is to wash gently with both hands and only twice a day. Myth #2: Stress causes acne Stress affects the endocrine system and may theoretically cause acne. In fact, stress is not the main cause of acne. Certain psychiatric medications may cause acne, but stress itself does not cause acne. Instead of worrying about stress causing acne, you should spend more time researching how to treat acne. Myth #3: Masturbation or sex causes acne This misconception originated in the 17th century to discourage young people from masturbating, but in fact there is little scientific basis for it. The development of acne is associated with androgen levels. High androgens may increase the drive for sexual behavior. Therefore, it is not the sexual behavior itself that aggravates acne, but the androgens that cause the increase in sexual behavior that cause acne. Myth 4: Sun exposure can treat acne For a short period of time, sun exposure can redden the skin and cover up the redness caused by acne. In fact, sun spots are just skin damage. It is important to protect existing skin while treating acne. Sun exposure may irritate the skin and worsen acne. It has been found that skin peels after sun exposure and acne looks better in the short term, but in the long term it only worsens acne. Sunlight is not useless and can help our skin synthesize vitamin D. Sun exposure should be limited in areas where acne is prevalent, but occasional sun exposure is not a problem. Myth #5: Diet is related to acne There is no evidence to suggest that acne is related to diet. Indeed, some native people who lived primitive lives did not have acne at all, in contrast to the widespread prevalence of acne in modern society. Could this be related to different dietary habits? This is indeed worth thinking about and deserves further research. However, even if acne were diet-related, it is unlikely that we could revert to the dietary habits of our ancestors.