Acne is a skeptics nightmare...

[Kilted_Canuck]

Well, the prescribed acne medications aren't all that great, I hear. From both anecdotal evidence and studies I have read, some of the doctor prescribed acne medicines such as accutane have some pretty scary side-effects including rashes and severe depression in some instances.

I've decided there's no way I'll ever take acne medication that may affect my mental state, so I guess I'm doomed to live my adolescence with mild-moderate acne.

 

[Powa]

We are what we eat!

You calling me a pig???

 

[nick]

These guys claim it works for more than just sweat !

(Moderator: hope this doesn't violate any forum rules ?!)

 

[volant]

I've decided there's no way I'll ever take acne medication that may affect my mental state, so I guess I'm doomed to live my adolescence with mild-moderate acne.

There still are topical treatments, such as benzoyl peroxide, and retin-a.

 

[nick]

Most forms of what people call "acne" are indeed bad news for skeptics: zits clear up for no reason, the sufferers are frequently teenagers and therefore terminally irrational anyway (yes, my kids are 14 and 12), and there have been high-profile cases of (alleged) damage done by medication.

As I understand it, clinical acne is quite rare, but people like to overegg the diagnostic pudding (cf "cold with temperature" becoming "flu") because, hell, it's great to be sick and get a bit of attention sometimes (there we are bacl to teenagers again).