Basic Facts About Controlling Acne
Sunday, April 27th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
The average teenager has enough on his or her plate without having to worry about acne control. Fortunately for some people, acne is only a concern during their teenage years, while for others it is an affliction that plagues them for their entire life. Regardless of a person’s age or of the severity of the acne, there are many methods to treat acne.
The best approach to acne would be to avoid an acne outbreak altogether, if possible. There are actions you can take to help prevent the acne from occurring. Some actions to take include preventing the pores of the skin from becoming clogged; unclogging pores that are already infected; combatting any bacteria that are the cause of the infection; and reducing any redness that may already be present because of the acne.
Washing the face twice daily using a gentle soap and warm water will go a long way toward preventing the clogging of your skin pores. Beyond that, cleansing your skin with benzoyl peroxide will also help it dry out. Benzoyl peroxide is the active substance found in cleaning wipes such as Oxy Pads. A major benefit of benzoyl peroxide is that it can be used in conjunction with other acne treatment products.
Exfoliation is one more method of acne control. Exfoliation removes the dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. These dead cells can cause acne breakouts by clogging the active oil glands in the skin, especially those found on your face. Exfoliation can also make your skin much softer and healthier. One drawback is that some exfoliating products can be very harsh, so a new product should first be tried out on a small area of the skin before applying it to the entire face.
Some products for acne control have a double purpose. Exfoliating products not only remove the dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, but they also offer the benefits of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory products. Both of these ingredients can help to treat the existing acne and reduce the redness and swelling that often accompanies an acne attack.
Other common ingredients found in products to treat acne are sulfur and azelaic acid. One ingredient to be cautious of using on the face is salicylic acid. While this ingredient can help to prevent the pores from clogging, it is very irritating to the tender skin on the face.
For very persistent or severe acne a consultation with a dermatologist may be needed. The dermatologist can help set up an effective cleansing routine. He or she may also use lasers or write a prescription to fight tougher cases of acne. Acne medications can be very harsh, and you should be made aware of any possible side effects by your doctor.
If you don’t want to go to a dermatologist for prescription treatments, you can try some of the over-the-counter acne products first. You might find that one of the more inexpensive and easily available acne care products like benzoyl peroxide can work well for you, and you’ll avoid the dangers and possible side effects of harsh acne medication.
