Most important of all, sufferers should only take advice to help treat their skin problem from qualified doctors and skin specialists.  They should not, ever, act on stories told by other people, including big name celebrities being paid to promote so-called acne treatments even people who’ve never suffered skin problems themselves.

Here are some ‘treatments’ put forward to ‘treat acne’ which are more dangerous than beneficial.

*  Household soaps and cleaning products, even heavily diluted in water, can contain strong chemicals that can burn the skin and cause skin flare ups to worsen and eventually to scar.

*  Exfoliating creams and pads definitely do remove dead skin and also excess oil, but the treatment is abrasive and harsh and can expose sore red layers of the skin beneath spots and end up looking much worse than the spots the sufferer tried to remove.

*  Home saunas and hot water treatments can cause the skin to burn and sweat and while some oil may be removed, such treatments are more likely to irritate and exacerbate acne spots than to offer any lasting benefits.

*  Long exposure to sunlight will not help cure acne and can also make the skin more sensitive to sunlight and lead to burning and a dangerous reaction to certain oral medical prescriptions.

*  Squeezing spots is a sure way to spread the damage to unaffected areas especially if the fingers are not kept spotlessly clean.

Those are just a few of many so-called treatments for acne which are potentially much more dangerous than beneficial to sufferers.  Avoid them at all costs.