By De'Laney Rowland, Courtesy of BlackDoctor.org

The language may not be pretty, but acne affects approximately 95 percent of the population at some point during their lifetime. This common disorder can range from mild to severe, can sometimes cause extensive scarring, and can occur anywhere between the ages of 11 and 50.

Regardless of your age, gender, skin color, or ethnicity, what causes acne is the same across the board. As a result, there are certain basics for fighting breakouts that are essential if you are going to have any chance of winning the battle.

To create a plan of action-and it does take an organized plan of action-it is essential to let go of the inaccurate but persistent and pervasive information concerning blemishes and instead learn what really can help your skin. You can't choose wisely if you don't know what you're fighting against.

The first myth is the notion that you can dry up a blemish

Water is the only thing you can dry up and a blemish has nothing to do with being wet. Skin cells, however, do contain water, and when you dry up the skin you are really drying up the water in the skin cell. Drying up skin impairs the intercellular matrix (skin's protective barrier), which can increase the presence of bacteria in the pore and cause flaking and a tight, dry feeling. None of that stops breakouts but it can lead to irritation and add another predicament to your skin care woes. What's true is that blemishes can be aggravated by oil production, which needs to be reduced and/or absorbed. Absorbing oil on the skin or in the pore is a radically different process from drying up skin.

The second myth is that blemishes are caused by dirty skin.

Unfortunately, this mistaken belief causes harsh over-cleaning of the face with soaps and strong detergent cleansers. That only increases the risk of irritation and dryness, and doesn't do anything to prevent blemishes. Not only that, the ingredients in bar cleansers and soaps that keep them in a hard bar form can clog pores and actually cause breakouts. The truth is that gentle cleansing and overall gentle skin care are critical to getting breakouts under control.

The third myth is that you can spot-treat blemishes.

Sadly, lots of products are based on this concept. However, once you see a blemish, you can't just zap it into oblivion. For most types of blemishes (other than those created by an immediate reaction to a cosmetic or some other topical irritant or sensitizing reaction), by the time it shows up on the surface of the skin, it has been at least 2 to 3 weeks in the making. The truth is, it takes time for conditions in the pore to create a blemish. If you don't understand and you don't learn how to deal with that somewhat lengthy process, you can't successfully tackle recurring breakouts. Dealing with only the blemishes you see means that the blemishes that are forming won't be stopped.

Remember, you can't dry up a blemish because it isn't wet, and irritating ingredients not only may make matters worse by creating more redness and swelling, but also hurt the skin's ability to heal. The best course of action is to work on the cause of the blemish, not the aftermath.