Nothing is worse than waking up on a crucial day and discovering a large red zit on your chin. Contrary to popular belief, acne extends beyond the surface of the skin. It damages your skin and your self-esteem in addition to your confidence. And despite what people may tell you, the damage your skin causes while you are still young is not justified, no matter how amazing it would appear when you are in your 40s. But hold onto your hope. Acne might be more complicated than first appears.
According to science, acne may indicate certain underlying health benefits that may make others wish they had pimples (not quite, I know). Here are three scientific reasons that show having acne may not be such a bad thing after all.
1. You May Live Longer
If you have acne, thank your telomeres. The longer they are, the longer you live. Your DNA strands are capped by protective structures called telomeres. They essentially protect your chromosomes from degradation. Shorter telomeres are associated with ageing and short life span and longer ones with longevity. Guess what studies say? It is said that those with acne have longer telomeres, which makes them more resilient to certain life-threatening infectious diseases! That means you could outlive your nasty friends who made fun of your pimples.
2. You Will Age Better
When it comes to acne, the best is literally saved for the last. So don’t worry about a few ruined teenage and early adult years, especially if you knew what your oily skin has in store for you in the future. The upside of having oily skin, acne-prone skin is longer telomeres. And apart from protecting you from an early death, longer telomeres also slow down your ageing process, making you look younger for longer.
3. You Will Have A Healthier Heart
Another advantage of having acne is that your heart will be better protected against heart diseases as compared to your clear-skinned friends. This is true especially if you are a man and had acne as a teenager. A UK study conducted on 10,000 men concluded that men who had acne as teenagers are less likely to suffer from coronary heart diseases. That’s because the androgens that caused acne in the first place may preserve heart health.
Sources:
1. Ribero, S., Sanna, M., Visconti, A., Navarini, A., Aviv, A., Glass, D., … & Mangino, M. (2017). Acne and Telomere Length: A New Spectrum between Senescence and Apoptosis Pathways. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 137(2), 513-515.
2. Galobardes, B., Smith, G. D., Jeffreys, M., Kinra, S., & McCarron, P. (2005). Acne in adolescence and cause-specific mortality: lower coronary heart disease but higher prostate cancer mortality: the Glasgow Alumni Cohort Study. American journal of epidemiology, 161(12), 1094-1101.
