Is Masturbation the Real Cause of Acne?

When it comes to acne, you've heard all the familiar culprits: greasy foods, sugar, chocolate, stress. But can masturbation be the real cause? Learn the facts.

Case #: 695

Concern：

I read that masturbating too much can cause acne. Is this true? I'm 18 and I've had acne since I was about 13. That's about the time I started masturbating. I've masturbated probably 2-3 times a day on most days. Is that too much? Is there a connection?

Discussion：

Acne is definitely one of the most unpleasant aspects of puberty. You have finally reached the point where you're interested in girls and curious about exploring your sexuality, but before you can get close enough to enjoy the intimacy, BAM! Your whole face breaks out like a cluster of erupting volcanoes. Life can be very cruel sometimes, and adolescence is unquestionably one of the most difficult and frustrating seasons of life.

Acne is caused by hormonal imbalances. When you're 12, 13, 14 years old, these hormonal imbalances occur naturally as your body undergoes dramatic changes. As your mom used to say, “You're becoming a man now, sweetie.” But at about 15, 16 years old, your body should be settling into its new digs. Sometimes the effects of puberty can linger throughout the course of your teen years and even into your early 20s, but if you're masturbating constantly, you can absolutely exacerbate the acne problem.

Masturbation and Acne – The Answer is Yes

As previously emphasized, acne is caused by hormonal imbalances. When you masturbate, your body must tap into its hormonal reserves. So as you can imagine, constant masturbation can deplete these reserves, and even contribute to the production of damaging stress hormones like DHT. When you achieve an imbalance of androgen hormones, your body will overproduce sebum, which causes oils to accumulate on the skin. And we all know what oily skin leads to.

Masturbation – How Much is Too Much?

If you masturbate 2 to 3 times per day, you're definitely overdoing it, and you may be contributing to problems that go much deeper than just acne. Prostate inflammation, weak erections, testicle soreness, blurred vision, tissue damage. These are just some of the problems that can arise from the hormone and chemical depletion caused by chronic masturbation. I would recommend scaling it way back.

Treating the Acne Problem

We all know that acne is more than just a minor inconvenience. It can kill your self-confidence, cripple your social life and even cause serious depression, so we want to get that under control right away. I would recommend an herbal remedy designed to minimize stress hormones and promote healthy hormone production. For instance, herbals like Safflower and Fo Ti have been shown to prevent the over-production of stress hormones, while Bupleurum and Rehmannia promote healthy skin cells (FORMULATED: herbal treatment for acne & outbreak). Try one of these remedies for yourself, and take it easy on the self-love!