One thing you hear from teenagers in the summertime is that they want to get a sunburn or tan to help clear up their acne.
And on the surface, this idea seems to make sense. After all, excess oil and bacteria help cause acne.
UV Rays and Acne
So, if you can dry out your skin with a strong dose of UV rays, that will surely help to clear up your complexion, right?
And won’t those UV rays kill some of the extra bacteria hanging out on your skin, further helping to clear up your acne?
Not only that, but can’t getting a tan help camouflage the redness and inflammation associated with acne?
Sadly, the answer to all these questions is a resounding “no.” Here is why the sun is not the answer to your acne problem.
First, dry skin is helpful in the treatment of acne. The less oily sebum that the skin produces, the fewer acne lesions will develop. That is why some medications act to reduce sebum production.
While it’s true that UV rays can dry out your skin, that drying effect occurs on the exterior of the skin. Your body notices that your skin is dehydrated and responds by producing more sebum to keep things lubricated.
While you may see a temporary improvement in your acne after a day at the beach, that effect is quickly reversed as your skin becomes oilier than ever. This puts you at risk for more extensive and more frequent acne breakouts.
Although the UV rays from the sun can damage bacteria, they also damage your skin’s protective barrier.
This barricade is essential because it helps to keep bacteria out. When the barrier is damaged, it becomes easier for acne-causing bacteria to reside on your skin.
Not to mention, there are far more acne-causing bacteria on your skin than UV rays can ever hope to kill. They reproduce quickly, so any bacteria the UV rays manage to kill are rapidly replaced.
A Tan Does More Harm Than Good
As for camouflaging the redness and inflammation associated with acne, a tan can actually make things worse in the long run.
A tan may help to hide some of the redness. But it does so at the cost of injuring the skin so that it cannot create a normal inflammatory response. This may make your acne look a little better, but that response is vital to fighting cancerous changes that the sun causes in the skin.
The skin’s color changes from sunlight can also worsen the look of healing acne scars. So, while a tan may help to hide some of the redness associated with active acne lesions, it can make scars darker and more visible.
In short, there is no benefit to trying to clear up your acne with a sunburn or tan. In fact, the sun will only make things worse in the long run. Damage from the sun can lead to premature skin aging and an increased risk of developing skin cancer.
Use A Non-Comedogenic Sunscreen
So, ensure you use a non-comedogenic sunscreen designed for acne sufferers whenever you are in the sun. It’s the best way to protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays.
Another way to get rid of acne for good is with Acne No More. It comes with a 60 day money back guarantee, so if it doesn’t work for you, your money will be refunded.
Click the link to find out more about acne myths.
