If you are an acne sufferer you will know that almost everyone has some advice on getting rid of acne. You will also hear many theories as to why we get spots and pimples. You will have heard them from parents, well-meaning friends, not so well meaning peers, doctors and dermatologists.

As well-meaning as some people are, you will often find that the people who view themselves as the most knowledgeable usually have never had spots, or who have only had the 'odd spot' in their lives. The may not know the pain you are suffering with acne. Of course they want to help you get rid of acne, but you need the advice from a professional.

Here is some fact and fiction about why we get spots:

You get acne because you don't wash your face properly. It's important that all people keep their skin clean, but it may not be the major factor as to why you can't get rid of acne. If fact, if you wash your face too often and exfoliate too much you can actually make spots appear because you are stripping away the skin's natural barriers.

If you use makeup you need to make sure that it isn't past it's sell-by date. Stale makeup can harbour harmful bacteria and cause spots and sometimes even worse skin infections. Also, never wear makeup to bed. Always remove any traces of makeup before going to bed.

Touching your skin with dirty hands can also cause spots. Your hand can carry a lot of germs and bacteria if you don't wash them properly. Try as much as possible not to touch your face with your hands. It's a good habit to try to get into. If you have children, keep their hands away from your face as well and children hands will probably have much more bacteria on them than yours!

You are eating too many sweets. Sweets contain refined sugar and too much sugar can cause spots. So, if you eat too many sweets, this could be the cause for your acne. But, many people who don't eat much food containing refined sugar also get acne. So there may be another reason why your acne appears.

Chocolate causes acne. Most books containing advice on acne tend to stick to the belief that there is no proven link between diet and acne. One book actually states: "You could eat a big bit of chocolate cake and it wouldn't become a spot tomorrow". For some acne sufferers this could be true, but for others - a large piece of chocolate cake will mean not just one spot tomorrow, but another acne outbreak. Contrary to the advice that doctors and some dermatologists will tell you, there is a definite link between diet and acne.

It's your age - you will grow out of it. It's true that most most teenagers suffer from acne. This is caused by the body producing more of the hormone testosterone. This can cause an over production of sebum which in turn leads to oily skin. This means that the pores get blocked leading to the appearance of spots. However, the reason that many teenagers get acne is not because of the changes happening to their body, but because the type of food eaten at this time is increasing the level of hormones.

So the answer as to why some people grow out of it and other do not, related to what foods each individual can tolerate. A teenager will already have a raised hormone level and that, together with eating sugar laden and processed foods will most likely interfere with the hormone levels and make them even higher. Then when a person grows older and his hormone levels decrease, he could continue to eat the same food, but not get an out break of acne.

For professional advice from a qualified nutritionist acne sufferers should visit the Elaine Mummery Acne Clinic. Sufferers will receive individual consultations which will help identify the root causes of each spot. Help is given to identify diet and nutrition factors. No harmful medication is used in the process, so that body will be able to heal itself. It is possible to get rid of acne and find natural remedies for acne.