Myths

It seems like everyone has "expert" advice on how to stay beautiful, but to be honest I don't believe any of them. It's not that I'm saying I'm any smarter than any of the girls at school who spend every break between class reapplying makeup in the bathroom mirror. I'm just saying that they're wrong...mostly.

To start things off I felt we should start with my favorite myth. Since middle school I heard people say that eating chocolate can cause acne. It is my joy to say that they were wrong!!! According to The Acne Resource Center, chocolate or for that matter what foods you eat are not what cause acne. Acne is caused by oils glands, genetics, old skin cells, and hormones- not chocolate. But then why the myth? Well some people do breakout when they eat certain foods like chocolate or potato chips, but the breakout is most likely an allergic reaction to some food. So someone with a chocolate allergy would breakout with what could look like acne if they were to eat chocolate, but everyone else should be fine. Of course eating well doesn't hurt if you want clear skin, but you don't have to sacrifice chocolate. In fact, chocolate has been found to relieve stress, which actually can cause you to break out. Personally, I love chocolate and I have never noticed any correlation between eating chocolate and breaking out. If you think about it though this is a pretty good myth to tell your friends if you want more chocolate to yourself.

Speaking of acne, what about the myth that the sun can cure acne? Well, mostly false according to Acne Myths, Etc. There isn't any scientifically proven reason why the sun would cure acne but there are a few plausible explanations. The most likely is probably that the sun relieves stress. Just think about it.... for months it's been cold and rainy and cloudy and finally it's sunny and warm! You go outside to tan and it's the most relaxed you've felt in months. Also, the sun provides vitamin D and some people may have a deficiency. Those with a vitamin D deficiency can be more prone to acne, so spending more time in the sun would help. And then there's also the fact that people can also make whatever they believe happen. In other words, hearing that the sun can cure acne acts as a placebo and thus the people don't have acne if they spend time in the sun. You can make anything happen if you're just stubborn enough to believe.

In an effort to make this blog seem well planned out I will continue to talk about sun myths with the myth that you can't get tan while wearing sunscreen. The truth is you can get a tan while wearing sunscreen says Discount Beauty Center. You can also get freckles and wrinkles while wearing sunscreen. The thing about sunscreen is that the 15 in SPF 15 only means that you'll be protected longer in the sun. It's impossible to say how much longer but basically it's 15 times longer than your skin could protect yourself. Sunscreen is kind of like giving your skin superpowers. Like I might usually be able to run a mile, but with superpowers I could run 15 miles. Impressive right? So like if you usually burn 5 minutes after walking outside then you need something like SPF 12 to spend an hour outside without burning. The most important thing to know about sunscreen is that it does not protect against UVA rays which can cause wrinkles, freckles and could even cause skin cancer. In order to get protection from UVA rays you need a broad spectrum sunscreen. So wear sunscreen and tan away! But before you do read the next myth.

Someone please tell me who in the world can up with the idea of base tans? Really just think for a second. Tanning beds are dangerous- so dangerous that states have made laws restricting who can use a tanning bed. So how does it make sense to go to a tanning bed before a vacation to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun? Well, it doesn't really, according to a University of Michigan Health System article. Basically all those dead skin cells that are more commonly known as a tan give you the fabulous protection of SPF 4... maybe. And you already spent what's equivalent to probably a whole day at the beach with no sun protection on getting that tan in the first place. Base tans... oh, the irony.

Last but not least we have a myth about shaving. I really hate shaving, and I am not the only one. I'm lazy and the effort it takes to shave without cutting myself is annoying. We all just want to get laser hair removal and get it over with for good. There is some good news though. The myth that your hair grows back darker and thicker when you shave is false. But wait that's actually bad news for me since my hair is blond and laser hair removal only really works on people with dark hair. And come to think of it that's bad news for all of those guys at school trying to grow mustaches. If only hair would grow back thicker and darker. Then I could get laser hair removal and guys could have nice thick facial hair. So why does it seem like you're hair is growing back thicker and darker? Well according to a Newsweek article, it's sort of an illusion. Hair is thicker at the root because the hair near the ends gets damaged and worn out. When you shave and the hair starts to grow back in you only see the undamaged worn out hair but if you let it grow out it wont be any thicker than it was. As for the color, you're just imagining that too. The stubble contrasts against your skin more than when all the little hairs blend in together.

The moral of this blog is you are more likely to hear accurate information while watching t.v. than during a trip to the girl's room in between class. Unless of course you watch The Hills or something like that....



The oh so helpful websites
http://www.acne-resource.org/acne-articles/chocolate-myth.html
http://www.acnemythsetc.com/acne_vs_the_sun.html
http://blog.discountbeautycenter.com/skin-care/10-myths-about-sunscreen-debunked/
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2004/hmtan.htm
http://www.newsweek.com/id/78014