subject: Time-tested Acne Tips [print this page] The acne tips that follow are for young people experiencing only mild to moderate acne at this time. Anyone affected by severe acne should consult a skin professional as soon as possible and not rely on acne tips alone, since there is no need to put up with such bothersome skin disorder and risk permanent scarring.
Before getting into any acne tips, be aware of the different acne stages. Mild acne consists of relatively few and small blackheads and whiteheads around the forehead, nose, chin, and cheeks. Acne stops being mild when blackheads and whiteheads appear on neck, chest, back, or shoulders and also when there is an increase in their size or numbers, which is considered moderate acne.
If you begin to experience red, painful bumps besides the usual black and whiteheads, it denotes an infection, and you are no longer dealing with moderate acne, but rather with severe acne. The deeper the infection occurs, the more severe your acne is.
It's time to talk about some terrific acne tips. In order to get rid of and keep away those hated zits of yours, you need to begin a treatment regimen involving three basic things suggested by dermatologists everywhere. Any effective acne treatment has these basic components: great hygiene, proper acne medications, and eating healthy food.
Acne tips: hygiene regimen: There are 3 areas you must concentrate on: face, hair, and body. Besides that, you have to take into account your type of skin which could be oily, dry or sensitive, with acne-prone skin being usually oily. You hair should be washed once a day specially if you are stuck with oily skin, and the same goes for your body. If your skin is the oily kind, you have to make sure to wash your face no less than twice (but no more than 3 times) daily and to use an acne scrub once a week to maintain the skin oil and dirt free. Washing more often that recommended can result in very dry patches of skin. On the other hand, a face with dry skin must be washed no more than twice per day using and mild cleanser, and the same goes for sensitive skin but clean only once daily. It is important to always apply plenty of moisturizer after each washing to keep the skin hydrated.
Acne tips: OTC remedies. Today's OTC (over-the-counter) acne medications are simply awesome, containing various active ingredients (natural or chemical) and in different concentrations and bases. The market offers all kinds of powerful cleansers, toners, scrubs, astringents, pore strips, peel-off masks, pads, and the new blue light units. There are lotions, gels, foams, ointments, and creams.Not all acne treatments work the same way on everyone. Your skin reacts uniquely to active ingredients, so it's a matter of trail and error before finding the right medication for your type of skin. It shouldn't take longer than three weeks of applying acne medications for you to see a noticeable improvement in the condition. When trying a new product, always allergy test it first, read all the labels, and follow the instructions.
Acne tips: Food. Even though, there was no conclusive evidence in the past whether diet could make your acne worse, the latest studies demonstrate that the so called "junk food" can certainly aggravate the condition a great deal. Go ahead and read the article, "Acne and Diet" published in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) by acne experts Alan Shalita, M.D., Whitney Bowe, M.D., and Smita Joshi, M.D. A good diet consists of reducing saturated fats, which come from animals products, like meat, fish (except salmon and sardines), eggs, milk, and cheese, or from plants like coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and vegetable shortening. Reduce sugar, salt, white bread and white rice. Eliminate chocolates, ice cream, and coffee from your diet. Eat more fruits, vegetables (except potatoes), nuts, whole grains, essential fatty acids (from salmon, sardines, flaxseed, or hempseed oil), and drink no less than 4 glasses of water or pure fruit juice each day. Follow such diet at least until acne goes away.
Stop hating your acne and have you acne hate you instead by following a good hygiene routine, eating healthy foods, and applying topical acne medications on a regular basis.
