Top acne mistakes

A lot of people believe that acne is caused by oil and dirt. This isn’t necessarily true. There are many causes for acne and having oil is just one of them. There are hormones, stress, medication, illness, pregnancy…

I find that one of the most major causes of  out of control acne is bacterial. Whilst it may have been started with one of the reasons above, when it is not treated the skin becomes infected and bacteria spreads and before you know it you have acne that you just can’t clear up.

There are some things that are done that just make acne worse.

Over-scrubbing or over-cleansing the skin

Scrubbing the skin will actually worsen acne, as it can compromise the skin’s protective barrier and increase irritation. People believe that cleansing and scrubbing with keep the skin cleaner therefore reduce acne. This isn’t the case. You will over sensitise the area causing redness and irritation. If the skin is irritated then this can lead to other problems. The ones I like best are enzymes or aha exfoliants. They work deeper, more thoroughly and less harsh.

Instead, gently wash with a pH-balanced cleanser to lessen inflammation. If you are using an AHA cleanser use 1 x day at night and use a cleanser more gentle in the morning.

Choosing products for oily skin

Again coming back to the first problem that people believe their acne is caused by oil so they choose oily skin products which strip the skin. Harsh cleansers, alkaline bar soaps, and alcohol-based products may worsen acne.

The gentler you are with your skin the calmer and less inflamed it will be. Strong products are great, but should be used in moderation.

You need to nourish your skin as well as have antibacterial products. It is about getting the balance right.

Choosing the wrong products

Choose non-comedogenic skincare, Noncomedogenic products don’t contain ingredients that tend to clog pores in people with acne-prone skin.

Certain ingredients found in products such as make-up, sunscreen and moisturizers are more likely to clog pores. The main culprit is Talc.

Picking at pimples

We all do this one! (and know we shouldn’t) Picking pimples prolongs healing time and raises the risk of scarring. Infected material can get pushed further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness.

People also normally pick when their skin in unclean or they have make-up on. The area is not steralized, they don’t know what they are doing and they push and tear the skin which causes a scar to form, they either don’t get everything out (causing more infection) or they go too far (causing broken capillaries, more infection or more inflammation)

We all know not to do it!

Waiting too long to see someone

It’s time to make an appointment before acne starts taking a toll on your skin and self-esteem. The longer you leave it the worse it gets, the more scarring it causes, leading to long term damage that is hard to fix.

We have many ways to treat acne. Extraction facials, led light therapy, aha and bha peels and oxygen treatments.

It’s also possible a person could have rosacea which usually requires different treatment than acne. It is a long-term disease that causes redness and pimples. People can mix this up with acne and if you treat it as acne then your skin will flair up worse.

Over-Using a Prescribed Acne Medication

Now I might get in trouble for this, but people are prescribed medication way too much these days. It scares me. For some people it is necessary. But it shouldn’t be a 1st stop their can be a lot of unpleasant side effects. Try extraction facials 1st, try good skin care that has been prescribed to you-and give them both a good go, not just 1 facial or a product you brought from a chemist.

Stopping the treatment

The acne didn’t appear over night and it is not going to disappear over night. Facials are an ongoing solution. Depending on your skin you will start out with a facial every 1-4 weeks. When we have your skin in control we then start spacing out the facials.

Once we have cleared up your skin it is important to keep up maintainence. This is where a lot of people start to get into trouble. You acne was highly likely caused from getting one or two pimples, then one or two more, then another one and before you know it, it has blown up, Having a regular facial every 4-6 weeks gets rid of those pimples when they come up so you don’t end up back where you were.

To keep skin blemish-free, most people need to continue usage with at least one acne product. It may be a few times a week or once a day, but a good at home skin care routine is a must.