Acne is a common skin condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Research also indicates that approximately 50 million people face this skin condition annually. Admittedly, dealing with persistent breakouts can be distressing. It can even impact your self-esteem and mental health at some point. You can leverage some measures to combat acne and achieve clearer, healthier skin, including the following.
- Maintain a consistent skincare routine
Establishing a consistent skincare routine is vital to treat and prevent acne. On the other hand, changing skincare products too often and over-tweaking your routine will make it difficult to eliminate it. Even worse, the constant changes can end up causing more frequent acne outbreaks. Identifying and sticking to what skincare products work best for you is important. Next, speak with your dermatologist about the ideal routine and stick to that too. As a tip, Clean your face twice daily using a gentle cleanser formulated for acne-prone skin. Ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can unclog pores and reduce inflammation, so be sure your skincare products have them. You also can add a non-comedogenic moisturizer for skin hydration without worrying about clogging your pores.
- Refrain from excess exfoliation
Many people exfoliate as part of their skincare routine. But it’s best to refrain from excess exfoliation if you’re dealing with acne issues. While it can help with acne, too much can worsen the breakouts. This is because you remove too much of your skin’s natural oil, forcing the skin to produce more oil to compensate for the loss. This clogs the pores, worsens the breakout, or causes more pimples. Ideally, you should exfoliate once or twice a week, so feel free to consider this.
- Attack the different causes of acne
Acne has different triggers; treating the symptom alone while ignoring the cause will hardly yield results. So if all your efforts have failed, it’s time to attack the root cause. Bacteria, clogged pores, inflammation, and excess skin oil can cause acne. Also, biological conditions like pregnancy and hormonal changes are common culprits. And don’t forget about the oily foods. The right treatment will depend on your trigger factors. But if you’re unsure of your causes, the next tip comes in.
- Consult a dermatologist
If your acne persists or is severe, consult a dermatologist for personalized treatment options. Solutions like topical retinoids, oral antibiotics, or hormonal therapy may be necessary after your dermatologist examines your skin. You may even undergo chemical peels, microdermabrasion, or laser therapy to target stubborn acne. And if every other solution does not help, your dermatologist may opt for something more potent. For example, they may recommend Accutane treatment for severe or recalcitrant acne that does not respond to other treatments, so feel free to consider this. But because accutane use is strictly regulated, only an expert can administer it. So, can you start Accutane right away? The best way to find out is to speak with a trusted dermatologist, so keep this in mind.
Thank you for reading!