Zits are a familiar foe¹, plugging the pores of people young and old, all around the world.

丘疹可以堵住人们的毛孔，全世界不分老幼都可能受到影响，危害十分普遍。　　

Acne is the most common skin disorder² in the United States. An estimated 80 percent of all people between the ages of 11 and 30 have outbreaks, according to the National Institute of Arthritis³ and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Even 50-year-olds endure flare-ups.

在美国，粉刺是最常见的皮肤病。根据国家关节肌肉骨骼及皮肤病研究所的调查，年龄在11到30岁的人群中，80%的人都曾长过粉刺。即便是50多岁的人偶尔也会长粉刺。

Eliminating problem skin isn't easy. Dermatologists⁵, mothers and even P. Diddy have worked to rid us of blemishes⁶.

消除粉刺不是件容易的事情。皮肤病学者们、母亲们甚至于流行歌手都从不同角度想办法帮助我们去除这些暗疮。

Yet while research on acne remedies is extensive and treatments fill drugstore aisles⁷, myths about the condition are hard to wash away.

虽然一方面到处都在进行关于如何治疗粉刺的研究，各种各样的治疗方法充斥在药店的货架上，但这种问题依然很难根除。

Mud mask泥浆面膜

Contrary to what your mother told you, cleaning your face isn't the cure-all to clean-looking skin. Dirt doesn't breed zits.

与你母亲告诉你的正好相反的是，洗脸并不是保持皮肤洁净的灵丹妙药。尘土并不能导致丘疹。

The nasty buggers form when your tiny hair follicles get clogged⁸, blocking the normal exit pathway for oil, called sebum, to escape to the surface of the skin.

当你的毛囊被阻住时，一些可恶的东西就形成了，他们将堵住皮肤油脂正常排出体外的通道。

Although scientists have yet to pinpoint⁹ the cause of acne, androgen hormones-which rise during puberty in boys and girls and continue to fluctuate during a woman's menstrual cycle-cause the sebaceous glands¹⁰ to produce more sebum. Cosmetics¹¹, drugs such as lithium, and genetics also contribute to an individual's zit potential.

虽然科学家们已经指出了粉刺罪魁祸首——男性霍尔蒙激素，其在男孩和女孩的青春期开始增加，在女性月经周期时产生波动，这就致使皮脂腺产生更多的皮脂。化妆品，药品（比如含有锂）以及基因都可能是个人丘疹的潜在原因。

Back under the skin, things get uglier when the oil mixes with cells lining¹² the follicle, making a comfortable environment for bacteria to move in and cause inflammation. Enough swelling¹³ will break down the follicle walls, and the plugged-up mess will unload into the skin. That's when pimples¹⁵ rear their ugly heads.

在皮肤表层下面，当油脂与毛囊通道的细胞混合后，将给细菌的进入提供适宜的环境，从而导致发炎。肿胀到一定程度就将破坏毛囊壁，那些被阻挡在里面的东西就会转移到皮肤上。这是你就可以看到皮肤表面粉刺的头。

Filthy-looking blackheads feed the misconception that acne grows on grime. In reality, sebum turns the color of mud when exposed to air.

看上去脏乎乎的黑头粉刺让人们往往误解为粉刺就是在尘垢上长出来的。事实上，皮脂在暴露在空气中时会转变成泥土的颜色。

Scrubbing away at spotty skin too much or too often can actually worsen the skin condition.

经常擦洗长疹的皮肤只会加重这种情况。

“The concept that you can wash away your acne is not based on true fact,” said dermatologist⁴ Alexa Boer Kimball, director of Harvard University's Clinical Unit for Research Trials in Skin.

“通过擦洗去掉粉刺的做法是不对的，”哈佛大学皮肤病临床试验研究组主任皮肤病学者亚里克斯•波尔•金博表示。

She conducted a survey to test the hygiene¹⁶ hypothesis, asking college men to cleanse¹⁷ their faces either once, twice, or four times a day for six weeks. The washing results showed no difference between the regimens. Cleaning twice a day is probably best, says Kimball.

她对这项卫生假说进行了一次调查，要求参加的大学生坚持在六周以内每天洗脸一次、两次或者四次。洗脸的结果表明洗脸的次数与粉刺没有关系。金博认为。每天洗两次脸可能是最好的。

Chocolate and fries 巧克力与油炸食品

Fables¹⁸ about acne have traveled beyond the bathroom and into the kitchen. Chocolate candy bars and greasy¹⁹ foods have long been accused of tarnishing²⁰ complexions²¹, and drinking water has been deemed the ultimate therapy.

在讨论完与盥洗有关的事情后，我们来到厨房从食物的角度看看粉刺的成因。巧克力和富含油脂的食物长期以来一直被认为可能致使皮肤失去光泽，而多喝水被认为是最根本的治疗方法。

A number of studies in the 1960's and 70's set out to debunk²² the idea that what you eat pops up on your face. Today dermatologists agree that the experiments were not conducted well.

20世纪60、70年代大量的研究表明，摄入的食物会影响面部皮肤的说法没有道理。今天，皮肤病学者承认，当时的实验操作上有误。

Recently, research has shown that drinking milk may modestly increase the risk of acne. However, the story on diet is still evolving.

最近，研究表明喝牛奶可以稍微降低长粉刺的风险。但是，食物对此是否有影响的看法也有了新的进展。

“The role of diet is not yet clear,” Kendall told LiveScience. “The overall effect of diet on acne is not real big, but it's something we need to study more. But we're not talking about too much chocolate or too many fries.”

“食物在这中间的作用在不清楚，”肯德尔告诉LiveScience.“食物对粉刺总体上讲影响不是很大，但这也值得我们去更多的研究。但是，我们也不应该对巧克力和油炸食品关注过多。”

As for the holy grail of drinking lots of water to ward²³ off bad bumps, Kendall says it's completely unfounded.

作为以多喝水来消除肿块的金科玉律，肯德尔说，这完全没有根据。

Treatments 治疗法

Dermatologists have an arsenal²⁴ of treatments that can help.

皮肤学者有很多有效的治疗方法。

Ingredients in over-the-counter soaps and lotions²⁵ can do the trick for some skin. Benzoyl peroxide kills off bacteria, while salycic acid and sulphur break down whiteheads and blackheads.

对于一些类型的皮肤的人来讲，作为非处方药出售的肥皂和洗液可能会有用。过氧化苯甲酸可以杀灭细菌，salycic acid和硫磺都可以消除粟疹粒和黑头粉刺。

For more severe cases, doctors may prescribe antibiotics²⁶ to curb²⁷ bacterial²⁸ growth or large doses of vitamin A derivatives²⁹, such as Accutane, which unplug zits and can help prevent scarring.

对于病情严重的患者，医生也可以使用抗生素来抑制细菌生长，或者用大剂量的维生素A衍生物，像Accutane来去除丘疹，并防止在皮肤上留下疤痕。

“We have a lot of good treatments,” Kimball said. “The key is coming up with a regimen you like to use and will use consistently.”

“我们有许多很好的治疗方法，”金博说。“关键在于你愿意采纳并能坚持使用的方法。”

Pimple¹⁴ products in the pipeline³⁰ combine several medicines to make regimens easier on the patient. For instance, rather than remembering to use two or more products twice a day, a patient may only need to use one medicine, once a day.

治疗丘疹的产品和其他药物一起使用可以使患者的疗法更加简单。比如，患者可以一天只需一次使用一种药物而不是每天非得记住使用两种甚至更多的抗痘产品。

One last piece of advice: Do listen to your mother when she tells you to keep your hands off your face.

最后一条建议：当你母亲告诉你别动你脸上的痘痘时，一定要听她的。

“Picking is not a good idea,” Kimball said. “Almost always, you're making it worse.”

“用手挤不是个好办法，”金博讲到。“通常，你只会让它更糟。”  

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