Adult Acne: On the Rise

In this month's American Spa (January 2013), they covered the topic of Adult Acne.  If you have the time, the article In the Clear is definitely worth the read, but I wanted to touch over the main pieces of advice, plus some additional of my own advice, given to anyone suffering from acne as an adult.

Go see a Dermatologist
This is my add-on and I think one of the most important pieces of advice to give.  Acne is a disease.  I've seen a lot of self-diagnosed acne sufferers and they usually have a lot of incorrect advice on how to treat it.  You don't have to use prescription pills or creams if you don't want to, but it helps for an MD to look at your skin, properly diagnose it and give you tips on how to treat it.

Use your fingers to apply gentle, non-abrasive cleansers
That means no harsh scrubs, especially if you have pustules (those mean pus-filled bumps on your face).  You don't want to irritate your skin with harsh products because red, angry skin only makes acne look worse.  In fact, I usually spend my first treatment with acne sufferers doing a soothing treatment.  Also, fingers only - no washcloth, sponge, or (and this is going to be controversial) brush systems.

Wash twice a day and after sweating
ABSOLUTELY in the evening.  You need to get all of the make-up, dirt and grime off of your face so it can repair itself while you sleep.  I keep some sensitive-skin facial wipes in my nightstand and in my gym bag so if I don't have time (or forget) to cleanse before bed or after sweating, I can wipe the grime away.  Yes, that is kind of breaking rule #2 above, but I'd rather use a wipe to get my make-up off instead of leaving it on.

After washing, you need to moisturize
This is another add-on of mine.  The sebum (oil) your skin produces is the body's first line of defense against almost all outside stimulus.  If you strip all the oil from your skin and don't replace some of that natural defense, your body goes into overdrive to create more oil.  A light water based moisturizer or even an oil that closely mimics the body's sebum (jojoba oil for example) will help the skin balance itself.

Let the skin heal naturally
That means NO POPPING PIMPLES!  Sorry to yell, but squeezing your pimples the wrong way can do any of the following:
(1) Spread bacteria and thus acne around the face.
(2) Damage the skin and make it harder to clear.
(3) Cause scarring that may not go away.

Stay out of the sun and tanning beds
Tanning damages the skin.  Period.  And I rarely say this about doctors, but if your doctor, especially a dermatologist, is telling you to go to a tanning bed or lay out... you need a new doctor.  Tanning beds are now labeled as a carcinogen.  Any "benefits" they give you are temporary and minuscule compared to the damage to your skin.  Also, a lot of acne treatments, both prescription and over-the-counter, can make skin very sensitive to UV light and can damage it further.

Thanks for reading and here's to happy healthy skin!