As the average age of acne sufferers gets higher, you better believe that people will do anything to try to get rid of it. After all, isn’t acne supposed to be an ailment we leave behind in our teenage years? Recently, we heard that people were using iodine, either taking a supplement or applying it on their skin, to help treat acne. But it turns out, using iodine could be causing more harm than good.
“There are people that are iodine sensitive and those that are not,” says Montclair, NJ, dermatologist Jeanine Downie, MD. “But the bottom line is that it can cause people that are sensitive to break out, and get pimples on their face and back.”
Additionally, iodine can dry out your skin and can also cause irritation. While Dr. Downie has heard of cases where people saw positive results, she hasn’t seen enough evidence to suggest that iodine would be a good acne treatment.
We’ll admit, we’re a little disappointed that iodine isn’t the answer to our acne woes. But at least we now know to stay away from it!
