There is nothing worse than waking up to find a big red zit on your chin on an important day. Contrary to what people believe, acne is not just skin deep. It dents your confidence and self esteem along with your skin. And no matter what they say about how awesome your skin will look in your 40s, there is no justification for all the damage it does in the prime of your youth. However, don’t lose hope. There could be more to acne than what meets the eyes. Science says that acne could signify some underlying health benefits that can make everyone else wish they had zits (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.1
#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