Proper Hygiene
People often think that acne is caused by dirt, but this isn't true. It isn't! Acne is caused by a mix of things you can't change, like the way your hormones are balanced and how fast your skin naturally renews itself. You can control a number of things that may help you keep your acne under control. Start by doing these simple things to keep your skin clean and healthy.
Tip #1 for avoiding acne: Don't wash your face too much. Since dirt isn't the cause of your acne, scrubbing and washing too much won't get rid of it. Try to wash your face no more than twice a day. More than that can dry out your healthy skin and irritate areas where you get acne. Overwashing may also cause your skin to make more oil, which could lead to more breakouts.
Tip #2 for stopping acne: Don't use harsh scrubs. You can exfoliate, but use a gentle product with small, smooth grains. Don't use products with pieces of almond or apricot shells because they can irritate or even tear your skin and make your acne worse.
Tip #3 for stopping acne: Don't drink. If you use a toner, stay away from ones that have a lot of isopropyl alcohol, which is the same thing as rubbing alcohol. Alcohol is a strong astringent that strips the top layer of skin, which makes your oil glands make more oil. What happened? Skin that is dry and red, and maybe even more spots.
Tip #4: Don't squeeze or pick at your acne. Squeezing or picking at your pimples, whether with your fingernails, pins, or anything else, can push bacteria deeper into the skin, which can lead to more swelling and infection. You'll also do more damage to the skin around the spot, making it more likely that it will leave a scar.
Tip #5 for stopping acne: Don't touch! The bacteria that causes acne, Propionibacterium acnes, is a normal part of your skin. It doesn't cause acne until it gets stuck in a hair follicle. Too much touching of your face, like rubbing or resting your chin in your hands, can send bacteria into your pores, where it can start to do its dirty work.
Tip #6 for stopping acne: Work out and wash off. When you work out, your movements create heat, and friction from your clothes and equipment adds to the heat. Until you take a shower, heat and moisture are trapped against your skin. This is a great place for bacteria to grow and spread. So, whenever you can, take a shower right after you work out.
Medication for Acne
Find a treatment plan that works for you and stick with it. Most cases of mild acne can be treated with products that you can buy without a prescription from your doctor. There are many ways to treat it, and it's likely that one of them will work for you. If you start treating your acne before it gets too bad, you'll have a better chance of avoiding physical and mental problems in the future. But you should see a dermatologist if your acne gets worse or lasts longer than a couple of weeks. Here is a quick list of the most common ways to treat acne. Click on the links that interest you to learn more about that way to treat acne.
The bacteria that cause acne are killed by benzoyl peroxide.
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Salicylic Acid: It helps your pores breathe and renew themselves.
Tretinoin (Retin-A): Helps skin shed in a healthy way.
Antibiotics kill bacteria and reduce pain and swelling.
Oral contraceptives help keep hormone levels in balance.
Anti-androgens stop the body from making hormones that cause acne.
Isotretinoin (Accutane) is a treatment for severe acne with cysts or bumps.
Several prescription drugs are known to make acne worse. If you take any of the following drugs (or drugs like them) on a regular basis and have problems with acne, you may want to talk to your doctor about a different treatment with fewer side effects. But try not to lose sight of the fact that your health is more important.
Epilepsy and other types of seizures are treated with anticonvulsants like Dilantin. Acne is a common side effect of most of the drugs in this family.
Asthma and other long-term lung diseases are often treated with corticosteroids like Prednisone. Corticosteroids can cause blemishes by making the body make more sebum, just like cortisol does. Cortisol is a natural steroid that the body makes when it is under a lot of stress.
Disulfuram, also called "Antabuse," is a drug that is given to people who drink too much and want to stay sober. When mixed with alcohol, this drug causes a number of bad effects that are meant to stop people from doing it again. Some people who take Disulfuram regularly, even when they don't drink, can get acne.
Immuran. Like other immunosuppressants, Immuran is given to people waiting for an organ transplant to weaken their immune systems. It can help keep your body from rejecting your organs, and it can also stop your body from fighting the bacteria that cause acne on its own.
INH, or Isoniazid, is most often used to treat TB, or tuberculosis. Even though TB was thought to be mostly gone, it came back in the late 1980s among homeless people and people with AIDS. It is still a problem right now.
Quinine is given to people as a way to prevent or treat malaria. If you're going to a place where malaria is common, talk to your doctor about other ways to stay healthy.
Thyroid medicines. Thiourea and Thiouracil are two thyroid medicines that are known to cause acne. When a person has low thyroid function, these medicines are used to stimulate the thyroid gland. Large amounts of iodine, which helps control thyroid function and can also cause breakouts, can also make your skin break out.
