COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ACNE INVERSA

THE MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ACNE INVERSA

If you have Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), also known as Acne Inversa, you know it’s not fun at all. And all the family, friends and closest work-mates are trying to be helpful and supportive. They constantly advise you on all the stuff they have recently seen online about your condition. At times, even your dermatologist surprises you with quite unexpected, unasked for comments. However, it’s not them who’s undergoing the daily struggle. It’s you. We have made a list of top 5 most common delusions you are definitely going to run into, when suffering from this chronic disease of the skin.

MISCONCEPTION  #1. YOUR HYGIENE IS BAD

Now, there are many causes to HS. The condition remains constant and doesn’t change regardless of any changes to the lifestyle, habits, and other factors. Having that said, one of the most  common confusions around Acne Inversa, even among doctors, is that people suffering from it don’t put enough effort to their personal hygiene, thus causing the inflammation and rash. The thing here is that having solid and responsible attitude towards hygiene can help reduce the severity and/or frequency of outbreaks. But, this chronic condition does not depend on cleanliness or its lack. People don’t start suffering from Acne Inversa by just not being as clean, as the next guy. You can’t make it heal by just giving it a more intense rub with a soapy sponge.

MISCONCEPTION #2. YOU PROBABLY HAVE WEIGHT ISSUES

This is a huge one. No pun intended. Proper dieting is important for any person’s healthy lifestyle. In the same manner, regular exercising is crucial for staying well and fit. However, not following any of these healthy lifestyles doesn’t cause HS. One thing for sure, not being overweight certainly helps avoid skin-on-skin irritation due to excess fat and skin, which can often result in outbreaks. People with acne inversa, who change their weight over time, have reported that they don’t experience any improvement. So, whatever people say about your weight, if you are overweight, it is not the cause of your skin condition. Once again, dieting and working out will not harm you, but instead will only improve your overall. But if you hear from someone that you have acne inversa because of your excess weight, you should know that this is a total bogus.

MISCONCEPTION #3. SMOKING CAUSES ACNE INVERSA

A lot of people, who never smoked, are suffering from HS. The misconception that people suffering from this chronic skin condition, who smoke are at fault for it, is quite popular. This is generally caused by people’s judgmental nature and a desire to conclude that those having acne inversa deserve it for clogging up their bodies with something. No doubt, smoking doesn’t do any good to your health and makes you smell terrible, but it’s definitely not the reason for you having acne.

MISCONCEPTION #4. BAD DIETING RESULTS IN ACNE INVERSA

The internet has quite a few testimonies from people that claim their acne inversa went into remission after they removed something from their diets. Don’t get too comforted with such claims as there are other testimonies of people, who have gone through all the different diets and nothing happened. Moreover, some are claiming to go completely gluten free, which led them to heightened outbreak severity and frequency. In other words, this is just a matter of luck, like a shaman’s rain dance. Bad or good nutrition is not a crucial component in the acne inversa equation.

MISCONCEPTION #5. YOU HAVE HS, BECAUSE YOUR CLOTHES ARE TOO TIGHT

There are multiple articles circulating around the web that urge acne inversa patients to wear loose clothes. This is due to a belief that tighter clothes may irritate the skin and, thus, result in outbreaks. However, loose clothing on the contrary has been found to cause more issues due to the extra fabric bunching up and rubbing against the skin during movement. People with Acne Inversa have claimed on numerous occasions that it’s best to wear softer fabrics, like stretch denim and spandex. The key to proper clothes is having the least friction between clothing and skin.

Although you may run across various miracle drugs and therapies, whose manufacturers (or distributors) claim to be effective against HS, no cure has actually been found or developed at the moment. Just make sure to visit your dermatologist during outbreaks and follow their instructions to alleviate your condition.