Whilst we have all probably had to deal with a zit or a pimple at some time in our lives (indeed some 80% of the population will suffer from an acne outbreak at some point), sadly for some people acne can be a much more severe issue and in extreme cases can even lead to mental health problems.
As we get older, acne flare-ups tend to become a good deal rarer as our body stabilizes and hormones level out and we get rid of acne naturally.
Top 3 Editors Picks for Combatting Face Acne
We hope the above choices help you gain clearer skin. Please feel free to continuing reading below about facial acne and how it affects our skin.
Teenage Years Most Common Time for Facial Acne
Unfortunately, the most common time to suffer from acne is as a post-pubescent teenager and that susceptibility can in some cases last from the mid-teens into the early twenties, these years also tend to be the very time when we begin to experiment with relationships and wish to attract a partner and also the last time in our lives when we want to get spots!
So, what actually is acne and how does it affect our skin?
There are in fact, four different types of acne:
- Blackheads
- Whiteheads
- Papules
- Cysts
Blackheads and Whiteheads, both are caused by dead skin cells and too much skin oil combining and filling a pore, add bacteria to that mix and you get Papules, these can become inflamed and can cause very mild pain, they usually cause the skin to redden as well.
Pustules, as defined by Webmd, are the result of our immune system defeating the Paules, but this leaves dead matter which causes pus and yellowing of a pimple as it rots.
Finally, there are Cysts, the real nasty ones. When people suffer from Cysts entire regions of the face can be red and pus ridden, itchy and painful to boot and can, in severe cases cause permanent scarring. They are caused by P. acnes which are the main bacteria that attacks the skin and causes the condition.
P. acnes release chemicals onto the skin which mimics bacteria but is, in fact, harmless, these act as a diversion as our immune system fights these chemicals thinking it is the P. acne while the genuine article it goes about its business elsewhere, making it very hard to get rid of.
Well some products to reduce the presence of the problem and in time it will go away but prevention is far better than cure. Despite being at an age where you can tend to be rather ill-disciplined in life.
A healthy and regular skin cleansing regime will pay dividends in the long runs so it is certainly well worth making the effort to develop one as once you are suffering from zits they can’t be cleaned away as the nasty stuff is already trapped within a pore and scrubbing and scratching will only make things worse by causing the skin to redden even more.
Which can cause it to spread out from its initial position and if you are doing that scratching with dirty hands, then that too will also only compound the problem.
So, as said previously, you need to follow a regime. This involves cleansing your face at least twice a day.
You need a mild cleanser and this needs to be applied gently so you let it do the work, scrubbing will only serve to assist the acne as you cause a pile-up of dead skin cells and grease making it even harder to remove.
Obviously, if your skin is particularly dirty after playing a sport for example or you need to get rid of make-up, then you will need to be a little more vigorous but even then, do not overdo it and finish with the gentle use of cleanser as you would any other day.
At one time plenty of sunshine to dry out the skin was standard advice when it came to be getting rid of acne. Research has shown that too much sun will not help. Twenty minutes a day is more than enough and the rest of the time you should wear sunscreen.
The blue and red light in the suns rays to destroy the bacteria that causes acne but rather than bake yourself outside in the daylight, a short time using a lamp with a blue light or one with blue and red light combined will be far more beneficial.
Another precautionary measure concerns our hair.
The hair products we use to clean our hair can contain oils that, if not fully rinsed out at the time of washing can cause forehead acne so always make sure all hair product is washed from your hair and as a secondary measure, try to avoid allowing your hair to rest on your forehead for lengthy periods.
People also need to be aware that there are various kinds of treatments for different parts of the body where the acne might occur. It is always wise to check the labels and heed the precautions as an acne treatment such as Benzoyl peroxide which specifically treats the back, may work wonderfully applied there, but use it on your face and you could be causing yourself even greater problems than those you already have.
And this leads us to products in general. The pharmacy and supermarket shelves are jam-packed full of acne treating lotions and oils, so which one should you choose?
Well, the most expensive is not a guarantee it is the best. Many manufacturers add ingredients just to make the product seem “greener” and environmentally friendly and whilst these factors are important these additives may in fact just agitate your skin further.
It is probably best to stick to the purer form of treatments and not worry about bells and whistles, this also means they tend to be cheaper.
However, in some cases, the more expensive treatments for particularly viral acne outbreaks can be more highly priced wherever you decide to purchase them from. In a case like this, you don’t want to be smothering your face with the cream as this may irritate parts of the skin not affected by the flare-up.
Simply apply the lotion or cream to the worst areas and leave the rest of your face alone. This will not only prove to be more successful in clearing up your face but will also save you money!
Even the more expensive treatments can vary wildly in price so it’s worth shopping around, The Exposed Skin Care website is a great place to start looking for your perfect answer to acne, very well priced and designed to treat the problem at hand with no other agenda.
The Prevention of Face Acne
Back now to prevention. Even the oiliest skin can become dry so it's worth adding another step to your regime. Keep your skin moisturized. The moisture our skin releases is vastly different to skin oil and losing it can lead to the start of an acne breakout.
So, moisturize every day paying particular attention to the sides of the face and the forehead but make sure you dab a little everywhere. The same goes for most general treatments, don’t forget about your jawline, just because you can’t see the pimples and blackheads there doesn’t mean others can’t either.
We’ve covered how to try to prevent acne outbreaks and what we can do to treat them if we fail in that prevention but what about that time when you’re suffering a flare up and you have your graduation to go to or a first date or even a family event where there are bound to be photos taken?
Using Makeup To Hide Acne Blemishes
Concealment is the natural and obvious answer. A lot of people will tell you that green concealer over a pimple which is then in turn covered with a foundation is the cure, but what happens when the foundation wears off and you are left looking even worse than you did in the first place as people start wondering why your zits are green!
No, use a single layer of gold or brown foundation, this is much more effective.
If you have black, brown or fair skin then the gold foundation will do the trick. If you have an Asian skin tone, then the color of the foundation should be brown. With a little experimentation with pigments, you will quickly learn which is the best shade for you.
One thing though, try not to use too many layers of cosmetic as this will hinder skin recovery and the zits will take longer to go.
Acne has been an enemy to the teen for as long as people can remember, but by following the advice above hopefully the experience will not be so horrible and if you create that daily regime and stick to it, those experience should hopefully be very few and far between.
Have you experienced face acne before? What did you do to get rid of it? Do you know about any techniques not mentioned in this article? Share your knowledge with us in the comments below!
