"Acne".

It doesn't *sound* as bad as it makes us FEEL, does it? Who knew that a simple 4-letter word could be the cause of so much frustration, anxiety and angst? You know about keeping your skin clean and nixing an excess of "bad foods" from your diet ... yet your acne continues to get worse.

But why ... and how do you STOP the damage?

There are options. First, make sure you're not sabotaging all hope of achieving lasting clear skin with the following 5 blunders.

Are you guilty?

Acne Treatment Don't #1: The "Squeaky Clean" Regime.

Of course it's very important to maintain clean skin, especially when suffering from acne. But realize that even people with very clean skin develop acne, so "dirty skin" can't be the only cause.

In fact, OVERcleansing can lead to aggravation, redness, flaky, peeling skin, and can even cause your skin to produce MORE oil to compensate for the natural oils stripped away by excessive cleansing.

TIP: The vast majority of people, with acne or otherwise, benefit from cleansing the skin 2 to 3 times daily, tops. Any more often and you run the serious risk of making your acne worse!

Acne Treatment Don't #2: Chemical Cocktail Hell.

"Benzoyl peroxide"... "Salicylic acid"... "Isotretinoin" (e.g., Accutane)...

Why do we feel it's okay to ingest or slather ourselves with harsh potions and lotions containing chemicals we can't even pronounce?

True, these potions, lotions, pills and injections can sometimes appear to relieve acne fast. But more often than not, they can also cause any number of nasty side effects ranging from severely dry, flaky skin... to liver damage... to severe depression ... and even *suicidal tendencies*.

Yikes.

As if the very thought of applying "acid" to our bodies wasn't scary enough, the possible side effects of some of these topical and oral supposed "acne miracle drugs" are definitely enough to make us reconsider!

Acne Treatment Don't #3: Too Much Elbow Grease.

Yes, exfoliation in and of itself can be very important in your battle with acne, as it helps unblock already clogged pores and prevents the blockage of healthy ones. But by contrast, OVERexfoliation -- rough treatment, harsh scrubs and scrub brushes, excessive rubbing, scraping, or picking, etc. -- achieves the opposite effect.

It aggravates the skin, making the problem much worse.

Not only can being overzealous with exfoliation exacerbate your acne problem, it can also cause embarrassing, unsightly scars and indentations which may never fully go away or heal.

So ... gently, please. ;-)

Acne Treatment Don't #4: A Failure to Act.

Unless your acne is purely hormonal (i.e., a symptom of PMS), it won't just go away on its own. In fact, the longer you wait to cure your acne, the harder it gets to do so.

It's much easier to cure mild-to-moderate acne than it is to cure severe acne. Although, in every case, curing it CAN still be done when you commit to using the right methods.