Tips for Acne Sufferers

By Reisa Mehlman on January 30, 2010 11:22 PM

Acne, still prevalent after all the skin care research available today, is a troubling and oftentimes difficult problem to cure.

It's important to deal with this skin disorder as soon as you can as it can proliferate and cause even more problems like scarring, hyperpigmentation and distended pores -- not to mention a systemic infection if left untreated.

Here are a few tips that I offer my clients:

First, the don'ts :)

Don't Touch That!

Most importantly, keep your hands away from your face.  Picking will not help the situation, in fact, it will worsen it.  Your fingers touch a lot of things, like doorknobs, that are literally teeming with bacteria.  Combine this with an open wound and you're in hot water.  This is especially important for people in school and those who go to the gym.

Suggestion?  Wash your hands when you can and certainly when you get home.  Try carrying hand sanitizer in your school or gym bag. 

Hang That Hat Out to Dry

That's right -- hats that sit on your forehead, like baseball caps, collect sweat and other debris.  Wash that hat -- or replace it periodically.

Bang Thang

If you have oily hair and/or oily skin and breakouts on your forehead, try pulling your hair back whenever you can to give your forehead a rest.

Scrap the Scrub

Scrubs are not a good idea for people who have acne.  Those abrasives are stimulating your skin [read:  oil glands] and causing more sebum to be generated.  Definitely not wanted.  Also, if you're using a scritchy scrub it can cause micro tears in your skin that can allow the bacteria that's being moved around to invade new places. 

Left Out to Dry

Oftentimes, acne sufferers will try to dry out their skin, thinking that this will inhibit oil production.  Actually, it can have the opposite effect.  Skin needs hydration, so when you over dry your skin, guess what happens?  That's right, your skin makes more oil, so you dry it out again, and it produces more, and so on and so forth...

Bar the Bar

Forget bar soap which can harbor and spread bacteria.  Go for liquid soap instead.

Not So Hot

Long, hot showers are definitely not a good choice for acne sufferers.  The heat can excite your oil glands causing greater production.

Now, some good choices: :)

Pro Anti

Try using an antibacterial cleanser.  For those of you who are organically minded, lavendar and tea tree oil are both antibacterial agents, so you can find cleansers with those ingredients.  I stock an excellent cleanser by Farmaesthetics.

Get Professional Help

Seek out your local aesthetician who will be able to help you care for your skin properly.  An aesthetician has many tools to help you break the break out cycle, can exfoliate and cleanse your pores in a way which is not possible at home, and can differentiate different types of acne so that you can be directed to a dermatologist if need be.

Your skin, like the rest of you, is intelligent and can be rejuvenated.  Reach out for help and you will find answers.  Most aestheticians will be happy to offer you a complimentary consultation to answer your questions.  Seek and you shall find.  The reward?  Your own beautiful smile.