Do you spend hours on end worrying about what you’re going to do to remove your acne? Are you intrigued by every new ‘Acne cure’ that offers to destroy your pimples quickly and easily? What if I told you that you’re focusing entirely on the wrong aspect of curing acne? What if I told you that instead of trying to REMOVE acne, you should be trying to PREVENT it?
What I’d like to do in this article is talk to you about five of the most basic, yet most effective ways of remedying your acne problem through prevention as opposed to removal.
5 Tips to Prevent Acne
Tip #1. Be Mean, Get Clean!
Nothing will drive your aspiring pimples up the wall better than making a point to keep your face clean and free of facial debris. Many times our faces get much dirtier than we realize throughout the day. Dust, oils, dead skin and a whole host of other things can help to prepare your skin for infection from P.Acnes. That’s why simply making a point to wash your face regularly with a mild soap such as Cetaphil or Neutrogena will do wonders for your acne. For this you don’t need to go crazy with rigorous scrubbing or exfoliating chemicals, just a regular wash or two a day to keep the skin nice and clean is enough. In fact, being too rigorous with your face washing can lead to an increase in the appearance of acne, especially whiteheads and blackheads.
Tip #2. Exfoliation Eradication
While this tip is only really necessary in the moderate to severe cases of acne, Exfoliation can help everyone from time to time. You see, by exfoliating your skin you’re basically cleansing all the dead skin cells that otherwise clog up your pores and hair follicles. Without all that extra dead skin your hair follicles have much more room to ‘breathe’; the more oxygen present in and around your skin, the more difficult it is for bacteria like P.Acnes to gain a foothold. Again, similar to Tip #1 you really don’t need super intense exfoliating creams and lotions. Something nice and mild with some gentle scrubbing is more than enough to exfoliate your face and rejuvenate your skin cells.
Tip #3. Watch What You Wear, On your face that is.
See, many cosmetics are actually made with oils that will worsen your acne. When you leave these oil-based cosmetics on your skin you’re basically making an open invitation for clogged pores and bacterial infection. So, make sure that you check the labels on your makeup, lotions, blush and yes, even your sun tan lotion to ensure that you’re not putting any extra oil on your face. Some other good practices are:
Avoid oily moisturizers, but ensure they don’t dry you’re skin out (Complex 15 is great)
Avoid any and all hair chemicals if possible, or at least opt for the less-is-more approach
Start making a point to check the labels for terms like ‘oil free’ and ‘non-comedogenic’. Both of these are good indicators that the cosmetic in question is intended for healthy skin
Tip #4. Chemicals Don’t Have to be Bad
There are a few chemicals that you should most certainly avoid while you are trying to clear up your acne. However, there are also some chemicals that can be very beneficial when you’re trying to cure your acne, and that’s what I’d like to talk to you about right now. Benzoyl Peroxide – This chemical does a couple of things for you. (A) It helps to unclog pores that have already been clogged by fighting the bacteria that release a constant stream of fatty acids into your skin, and (B) expedites of the healing process of your acne, thanks to the freeing up of your pores. You can obtain this chemical in a mild form over the counter, and it’s recommended that you start with a fairly small dose once a day… You can move on from there as needed.
Antibiotics – If you have a dermatologist, then they can prescribe you with antibiotics to help fight the P.Acnes bacteria that so commonly develops into pimples. Many times these antibiotics are used as a second or third resort, or if you have severe acne. You should be sure to consult with your doctor about the dosage and side effects of any drugs you take. Since most of the acne fighting antibiotics will increase your skin sensitivity, you will likely need to make a point to stay in the shade throughout the medication period.
Accutane – This is commonly the last resort effort for those with severe acne or severe acne scarring. It’s a very powerful medication, and it’s designed from the ground up to fight and prevent acne. It’s only available through prescription, which means you’ll have to consult your doctor about using it. If you are a woman you will probably be required to go on birth control, since a pregnancy while medicated with Accutane would be disastrous.
Tip #5. Learn More
Take the time to learn on your own about what ever acne treatment you are embarking on. Do your due diligence, read what other people with experience have to say. Don’t just allow yourself to be drawn in through lavish claims or too-good-to-be-true medications. Understand that treating acne is the patient man’s game (or patient woman’s game). Most of all, listen to your doctor and approach remedying acne with eagerness, not dread. Rejoice! For soon your acne will be gone for good, and your face will be clear and shining. Soon enough, anyways.
