Skin Care

That scourge of adolescence, acne, hits just about everyone at some time or another. Some people manage to remain mostly acne free, for others it sets in quite badly. There are a number of factors which can contribute to acne which are listed in the guide below along with the best way to treat it.

What causes acne?

Acne happens when pores become clogged with oil called sebum. With regular washing and hygiene maintenance, Sebum keeps the skin and hair smooth, only becoming oily when washing becomes irregular. However, during puberty, hormones surge and can cause the skin to produce more Sebum than it needs, which can cause acne. The most frequent place acne occurs is in the ‘T zone’ which is the forehead, nose and chin. This is where most people get pimples.

Blocked pores quickly become inflamed and the Sebum starts backing up. Most often, you see “whiteheads” appear in these areas, which is an inflamed area surrounding a small white “capsule.” “Blackheads” are a variant of whiteheads, they are simply whiteheads that turn dark after dirt gets into them. The whitehead only becomes a pimple after the whitehead becomes infected with bacteria.

Taking care of acne

Giving your face a good scrub a few times a day will not stop acne. Washing and scrubbing regularly will clean and cleanse the pores, however this will have the side effect of stimulating more oil production from the washed regions of skin. The extra oil production, along with the irritation caused by the over-scrubbing, can actually make pimples worse.

Steps you can take to control acne

Do wash your face twice a day with warm water and soap specifically designed for acne. DO NOT SCRUB. Instead, massage gently in a circular motion to remove excess oil, but do not irritate.

The next step is to find and apply a skin lotion that contains benzoyl peroxide, which will remove bacteria and reduce oil production. Most of these lotions also have moisturizer, which assists in moisturizing and preventing the regrowth and spread of acne.

Some things to avoid

Do not use just any moisturizer, only use moisturizers that are specifically designed to treat and combat acne.

These oil-based moisturizers can make your acne worse. DO take advantage of moisturizers that are specifically designed with ance sufferes in mind.

Resist the urge to pop pimples.

Not only can this make the problem worse because it can spread the infection, but it can also cause permanent scarring.

Avoid touching your face unless you know for a fact that your hands are clean.

Common sense should rein here as you will have to touch your face during the washing process, but resist the urge during the day when your hands are dirty. You can transfer bacteria or other people’s sebum to your face, which can make breakouts worse.

Avoid wearing tight clothing if possible and be sure that you keep your glasses or sunglasses clean.

Tight clothing (including even such things as headbands or scarves) can cause acne breakouts on the skin. If you wear glasses, make sure you clean frames, etc., daily so that the parts that touch the bridge of your nose or other parts of your face are always clean. Not doing this will cause re-infections with bacteria from previous usage.

People wearing make up should remove it before going to sleep.

Make sure you also buy makeup that does not clogged pores and is water-based. Keep your eyes peeled to ensure that it is labeled “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic”.

Keep your hair tied back as much as possible.

Having hair touching your face can aggravate and spread acne to more areas of your face.

If you have tried these techniques and are still being plagued by acne, you should book a consultation with a dermatologist. Because they are a specialist in the field, they will be able to work out a good solution for your specific needs. Most people however, will be able to control their acne by following the steps listed previously.

To find out more, visit a page on acne soluitions.