masturbation and acne

Posted by bobby on July 27, 1999 at 13:09:43
is there any real correlation between masturbating and acne breakouts??  i thought there might have been and i recently read somebody's opinion that there in fact was...

Posted by Derm M.D. ASR on July 27, 1999 at 21:09:38
Bobby:
Nope, masturbation doesn't cause or help acne.
There's an old folk myth that sex clears pimples.  They used to tell kids, "Your acne will clear up when you get married."  This was in the old days, before people discovered premarital sex.
The idea seems to be that acne pustules represent bad toxins pent up int the body trying to get out.  Sex releases them.
To get an idea of what I'm talking about read the book, or see the movie, "The Road to Wellville."  Anthony Hopkins is terrific, and I guarantee you'll never eat cornflakes the same way again."
Best.
Dr. R
keywords: acne, masturbation, corn flakes, Wellville, Kellogg, Rockoff