Acne is a skin disorder that occurs when skin pores become clogged with oil and dead skin cells, resulting in blemishes such as pimples, uninflamed blackheads, and sometimes cysts. Many factors trigger acne, with the major one being hormonal fluctuation during teenage years, menstruation cycles, pregnancy, or menopause. Other possible factors include greasy cosmetics, emotional stress, diets, and sometimes medication.
Getting rid of acne does not involve trying different products to cover or clear the blemishes. For better and lasting results, you need to apply lifestyle changes and careful skincare routines. Read on for our favorite ways of taking care of the skin to put a stop to acne.
Before you embark on the skincare habit, you need to identify the type of acne you have. There are two types:
Inflammatory: They appear as small red bumps that contain pus. These also get deeper and often feel like they are under the skin. The pimples are painful and often feel typically larger than your regular pimple.
Noninflammatory: This is a mild type of acne that appears somewhat flat against the skin as blackheads or whiteheads.
Here are five skincare habits that can help you get rid of acne.
Get a topical prescription
If your acne doesn't clear normally using over-the-counter drugs, consider going for a topical prescription. It is highly recommended that you visit a certified dermatologist so that they can prescribe the right acne treatment for you.
Avoid touching your face
Your hands aren't always clean and may carry a lot of germs. Keep them out of your face. As much as it can be tempting to pick or pop your pimples, avoid touching your face to pop them, as it can lead to scarring or transferring bacteria into other pores. Be patient with your skin, and let it heal naturally.
Wash your face twice a day
Make it a habit to wash your face after waking up and before bed using warm water and a cleanser. Overwashing may dry up, irritate your skin, and aggravate pimples, so be careful. If you are too tired to wash up before bed, use wet wipes to clean up, so you go to bed with clean skin. As you clean, avoid harsh scrubbing , which will only irritate your skin further and worsen the acne breakouts.
Dead skin cells clog hair follicles leading to acne breakouts. It's important to exfoliate skin often to remove the dead skin cells and unblock the pores. However, do this with caution and a maximum of two to three times a week to avoid doing more harm than good to your skin.
When you over-exfoliate, you end up removing too much natural oil from your skin and irritating it. Your body will then respond by producing more oil to compensate for what's lost, resulting in more pimples. Remember to moisturize your face after exfoliation.
Clean anything that comes into contact with your face
All items that come into contact with your face should be kept clean. Ideally, change your bedding often, keep your face towel clean, clean your make-up brushes at least weekly, and wipe the screen of your phone as often as you can.
Treating acne requires patience. Give your face time to heal and also avoid rushing from one product to the other. Understand that various products work differently, and what worked for one person may not work for you. Chart your own acne treatment journey and if it keeps getting worse, consult a dermatologist.