Acne is the most common skin condition in the U.S., with the American Academy of Dermatology reporting it affects up to 50 million Americans per year. Yet misinformation about how to treat acne remains rampant. Between conflicting social media skin-care advice, endless over-the-counter options and the temptation to skip treatment altogether, you’re not alone if you feel like you’re accidentally making your breakouts worse instead of better. Sometimes, the biggest acne mistake isn’t necessarily what people are doing—it can also be what they’re not doing.
Acne is frustrating enough that it’s easy to reach for not-so-reliable strategies out of desperation—myself included. From delaying professional treatment to over-exfoliating and falling for viral myths, these are the acne mistakes dermatologists wish everyone would stop making.
Acne Mistake #1: Over-Drying
You may feel like you need to “dry out your skin” when you have acne and active pimples, but that actually might make things worse. “Over-drying the skin is the number-one mistake I see acne patients make,” New York dermatologist Heidi A. Waldorf, MD previously told NewBeauty.
“Just because acne treatments often dry the skin, that doesn’t mean the dryness is necessary,” Dr. Waldorf added. “Rather, the dryness is a side effect. The key to tolerating [acne treatments] while they work is to keep the skin well-moisturized and the skin barrier intact with non-stripping cleansers and noncomedogenic or oil-free moisturizers.”
Acne Mistake #2: Picking and Popping
Yes, it sometimes feels impossible—looking at white or blackheads on the skin and not picking or popping takes a level of restraint that not many of us have—but Houston dermatologist Jennifer Segal, MD confirms that in her practice, popping and picking is in fact the number-one acne mistake patients make.
“As irresistible as it is, picking and squeezing acne lesions only increases inflammation and can result in secondary infection, usually with staph [infections],” Dr. Segal explains. “Picked lesions last longer and, most importantly, leave scars. I tell all my patients to avoid picking and to put away magnifying mirrors, as these only lead to picking and scarring. (We will always find SOMETHING to pick when looking in a magnifying mirror!)”
Dr. Waldorf agrees, explaining that she encourages a “hands-off” mantra with her patients. “Squeezing, picking and popping pimples drives the contents inward as well as outward, and your skin then tries to wall that off, in turn forming bigger, deeper pimples and ultimately scars,” says Dr. Waldorf. “In addition, as your fingers go from one spot to another, you spread bacteria. In fact, there is a kind of acne called ‘acne excoriee’ or ‘picker’s acne’ with scabs, scars and acne that looks much worse than it would be without manipulation.”
Omaha dermatologist Daniel Schlessinger, MD, agrees, noting that picking “will only cause more breakouts, introduce bacteria and infections and accelerate scarring.”
Acne Mistake #3: Waiting Too Long to See a Dermatologist
If you notice your skin worsening, don’t hesitate to see a dermatologist. “The absolute worst mistake I see, bar none, is that parents wait to take their kids to the dermatologist and assume their acne will get better eventually,” says Omaha dermatologist Joel Schlessinger, MD.
He adds that many patients underestimate the long-term consequences of untreated acne—particularly scarring, which they often assume can be easily erased later with lasers or chemical peels. That’s not always the case; it’s better to nip it in the bud from the start. “Laser isn’t nearly as effective as Accutane (isotretinoin) or other treatments we have in dermatology,” he says—all the more reason not to wait.
Acne Mistake #4: Treating Acne Like a Normal Rite of Passage
In the same vein as waiting too long to see a dermatologist, many people assume acne is simply something they’ll outgrow, but Dr. Daniel Schlessinger says that mindset can be problematic, particularly because some breakouts could be a sign of something much worse. “I see many ‘acne’ patients who, in reality, have infections from sports like wrestling or football and desperately need treatment,” he adds.
Acne Mistake #5: Over-Treating Your Skin
When a breakout first appears, it can be tempting to reach for more products, assuming more treatment equals faster results—but in reality, the opposite is often true. “Scrubbing or excessive cleansing is a problem that we often see,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “Buff puffs or other harsh cleansers do nothing for acne and often make it much worse.”
He’s also seen people use treatments like microneedling on active acne, which is too aggressive on the skin. “Microneedling can aggravate acne as well by spreading germs over the face and other treated areas,” he adds.
Over-treating can also mean using too many active ingredients at one time. In reality, acne treatment should be approached gradually. “Acne treatments are meant to go low and slow,” he explains. “We see a lot of people using a ton of actives, and then their skin barrier becomes compromised.” Once that barrier is damaged, patients often have to spend weeks repairing their skin before they can effectively treat breakouts again.
Acne Mistake #6: Believing Every Acne Hack You See Online
Social media has become a major source of acne information—and misinformation. Remember that each person’s skin is different, so trying something just because you saw it online isn’t always the best course of action; acne treatment requires a curated skin-care routine, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Dr. Joel Schlessinger says he’s particularly concerned about the rise of homemade acne remedies on social media. “One [concern] is the idea that homemade products are ‘natural’ and therefore ‘safer’ for acne-prone skin,” he says. “The truth is that homemade products aren’t made in a lab, and the ingredients can be contaminated with bacteria that exacerbate acne.”
Acne Mistake #7: Assuming All Oil Is Bad for Acne
Because acne-prone skin often exists alongside oily skin, many people with acne avoid products containing oil entirely, but that isn’t always necessary. “Oil is great for hydration, and we see patients unnecessarily avoiding skin care with oils in them,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger. The key is choosing formulas that work for your skin type rather than automatically dismissing an entire category of ingredients (some oil-containing products even contain retinoids, salicylic acid or other actives that can help treat acne!).
