Acne Tips- How to Effectively Treat Acne

In order to effectively treat acne, you need to be aware of what factors can cause or aggravate your condition. You’ve no doubt heard the common myths that eating chocolate or oily foods causes acne.

While a healthy diet is recommended, there is no one specific food that causes acne outbreaks. Learning to recognize the facts from the myths is essential when dealing with acne.

Age Factor

Although acne can affect people of all ages, it’s most predominant in teens and young adults in their early twenties. Once a person reaches the age of 25, their chances of developing acne or suffering from additional outbreaks will drop dramatically. For adults in their mid-thirties or older, the risk of acne is even less. Many cases of adult acne are the result of a hormone imbalance.

Diet

While it’s true that indulging in chocolate, sweets, or oily foods does not cause acne, a well-balanced healthy diet can be beneficial in treating this condition. In order to keep your skin hydrated and looking its best, try to eat several servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. A sufficient water intake is also important. In addition to helping your acne, drinking lots of water will improve your overall health.

Stress

The relationship between stress and acne has been a hot topic for many years. Although stress may not be the culprit in an initial acne outbreak, unnecessary emotional turmoil can worsen an acne condition or cause frequent reoccurrences. By exercising or practicing some type of relaxation techniques, you can greatly reduce your stress to a more manageable level.

Skin Care

Many people mistakenly think their acne is the result of poor hygiene. In order to treat the condition, they may resort to an extreme cleaning regimen. Scrubbing or exfoliating your skin will not cure acne.

In fact, harsh cleaning is more likely to aggravate or cause the acne to spread. A mild cleanser or toner used daily is your best bet. Avoid facial creams and cleansers that contain harsh ingredients, which can irritate or dry out the skin cells. Ask you doctor to recommend an acne cleanser that is appropriate for your type of skin.

Vitamin Supplements

Studies have shown that many acne cases may be related to a vitamin deficiency in the body. If you’ve tried improving your eating habits but still experience frequent outbreaks, you may wish to try adding vitamin supplements to your diet. Vitamins A, B5, C, D, and E are all beneficial in promoting healthy skin. Your doctor can further assist you in deciding what type of vitamin supplement is necessary.

Sunlight Exposure

Another common acne myth is that sunlight exposure will heal or “dry up” your blemishes. While a tanned face may help to conceal red blotchy patches on your skin, a day in the sun will not heal or improve acne. In fact, if you’re currently taking any type of acne medication or applying topical ointments, sunlight exposure can even aggravate your acne further.

Coping with acne is similar to treating other conditions and illnesses. It’s important to realize in most cases there is no quick fix or miracle drug to cure your problem. Treating acne often involves a variety of methods including medication, dietary changes, proper skin care, and relaxation techniques.

Home and Over-the-Counter Acne Treatments

Acne is the most common skin disorder known today. In United States alone, nearly 60 million people are infected with acne, where 85 per cent of teenagers suffer from it.

Skin experts and practitioners recommend several natural acne treatments. Here are some that we have compiled just for you.

• Wash your face twice a day (thrice at most) with gentle and unperfumed cleanser. Avoid using soaps as they contain harsh chemicals and ingredients that can damage your skin.



• Avoid touching your face. Stop putting your hands by your face! I am often guilty of this resting my hand on the side of my head while reading. Also rubbing or bracing your chin is another common problem when thinking. Avoid rubbing, touching, or itching your skin with your hands. Your hands contain a lot of bacteria that can cause acne flare-ups. It is probably one of the most difficult things to avoid since much of the hand to face contact throughout the day we are unconscious of. Make it a habit to avoid hand contact and be conscious of it during the day to avoid bacteria.



• Avoid the temptation to pick, prick and squeeze your acne. This will send the infection deeper into the skin and can cause severe scarring.



• For mild to moderate acne, you can use over- the- counter topical ointments, solutions, lotions or gels that contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or azelaic acid as an alternative to benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is best at killing P. acnes and may reduce oil production. Resorcinol, salicylic acid, and sulfur help break down blackheads and whiteheads. Salicylic acid also helps cut down the shedding of cells lining the follicles of the oil glands.



• Topical antibiotic solutions and lotions can also be applied.



• Tea tree oil is a natural antibiotic and antibacterial agent and has a drying effect on the skin. It keeps the P. Acnes bacteria at bay along with decreasing facial oiliness, which makes this oil a worthwhile investment.



• Sulfur helps to heal existing blemishes by unblocking pores.



• Alpha or Beta Hydroxy Acids (AHA or BHA) works by keeping the skin exfoliated. Glycolic acid, the most well-known of the bunch is a useful adjuvant therapy for mild acne. Mandelic acid, a lesser known one, but one that combines the keratolytic properties of glycolic acid with natural antibacterial properties that help reduce the presence of P. acnes, may be considered a more effective alpha hydroxy acid in treating acne lesions. It is also much less irritating than glycolic acid, a factor that may be very important to those with sensitive skin who are unable to use other agents such as Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, or salicylic acid. It is effective in treating mild cases of acne on its own, and can be used successfully with other therapies on moderate acne.

These treatments are usually effective for mild to moderate acne problems only. The effectiveness usually takes several weeks or approximately three to six months to be noticed. For more severe and serious acne conditions, do not hesitate to consult your dermatologist.

Acne is not a simple condition to treat. It is a skin disease that affects each individual that has it differently. Here are some helpful resources that will get you on your way to blemish free skin.

Acne Resources

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