Acne CPR (Control, Prevent, Reverse)

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. - Feb. 8, 2015 - PRLog -- Think you said sayonara to pimples back in your teen years? Think again. Acne can be problematic, no matter if you’re 16 or 60.  Acne is caused by an overproduction of sebum—a mixture of dead skin cells and bacteria—and causes breakouts that can range from mild (acne simplex) to severe (acne vulgaris). Many factors can contribute to acne breakouts, including hormone fluctuations, diet, irritants, illness, and certain medications.

So, how can you help make sure you don’t experience an eruption? Follow these skincare strategies to CONTROL, PREVENT, and even REVERSEcomplications associated with acne.

Controlling Acne can be as simple as making changes to your skin care routine and learning good skin care habits.

Cleanse Your Face Sparingly

Think more is more when it comes to washing your face? No way! Excessive cleansing can aggravate and irritate the skin, causing it to produce even more acne-activating sebum, not less. For best results, wash with a mild cleanser no more than twice a day.

Don’t Sleep On It

Not removing your makeup before bedtime can be a nightmare proposition you won’t want to wake up to. Catching zzz’s with your face paint on can hinder skin renewal and leave you with clogged pores. Gross! Hint: keep a stash of makeup-remover wipes by your bedside table—they’ll come in handy on those nights when you can barely keep your eyes open.

Take Control (Of Your Birth Control)

For women, fluctuations in hormone levels during their menstrual cycles may cause acne breakouts.   Because birth control pills cause testosterone levels to drop, many women notice that their acne breakouts are less severe when they are taking it.

You are What You Eat

While it is tempting to reach for creams or potions to control acne, recognizing and improving your diet and lifestyle habits can make an even greater impact. High levels of blood sugar and progesterone, stress, alcoholic and sugary drinks, processed foods, and smoking are just a few factors that can cause breakouts, so taking steps to eradicate them from your daily routine is essential.

Trash

Sure, you love your skincare products, but they could be doing more harm than help. Certain ingredients in moisturizers, toners, and sunscreens can be irritating to your skin and cause you to break out. Mineral oil, petrolatum, alcohol, lanolin, perfume, and artificial colors are the usual offenders. Read the labels on your products carefully (makeup, too!), and look for words like “non-­comedogenic” (does not clog pores), “oil ­free,” and “fragrance­ free.” These are keepers.

The Perfect Prescription

Everyone wants acne to clear up quickly, so you may be tempted to slather on medicated washes or doubling up on acne medication several times (or more) per day. The truth is, over-using medications won’t clear up your acne up any quicker. But it will most definitely cause excessive drying, redness, peeling, and irritation. Always follow your doctors or pharmacists instructions to the letter.

Preventing Acne Complications such as acne scars and pigmentation is important, since it is one of the more difficult things to reverse.  Here are some of the do’s and don’ts.

Don’t Squeeze!

Tempted to squeeze a clogged pore or pop a ripe whitehead into submission? Don’t. Touching, picking, popping, or squeezing pimples not only brings more bacteria to the area, it also prolongs the healing process and can cause dark spots and scarring. The only manipulation methods recommended for skin blemishes and acne are deep-cleansing techniques carried out by a trained esthetician or a licensed physician.

Block Out the Sun

Excessive sun exposure and tanning doesn’t just increase your risk of developing skin cancer; it also triggers breakouts on those with acne­ prone skin.  Take steps to limit your sun exposure and apply an oil-free, non-comedogenic sunscreen daily.

The Dynamic Duo

There are a number of active ingredients that are effective in attacking the root causes of acne and diminishing the chances of pigmentation and acne scarring, the most prevalent ones being benzoyl peroxide, which kills bacteria in its tracks, and salicylic acid, which expertly exfoliates pore-clogging dead skin cells. Some of these treatments are available over the counter (washes, creams, scrubs, and spot treatments), while others might need to be prescribed by your doctor.  But go easy—these acne killers can sometimes make skin dry and irritated when used in combination.

Retinoid Therapy

Medications containing vitamin A derivatives, known as topical retinoids, are often prescribed as a first-line therapy to treat inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne. Topical retinoids prevent pimples from forming by decreasing inflammation and helping oil move out of the follicle properly.

Reversing Acne Complications such as acne scars and pigmentation can be two of the most frustrating after-effects of acne flare-ups, but in many cases, the damage can be undone.

Reversing the Ravages

Medical therapy, including oral antibiotics, photodynamic therapy with blue light (LED), Isolaz treatment for acne (which provide anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits), exfoliations with specialty blended peels containing alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids, laser treatments, and medical micro-needling have all been shown to effectively combat acne’s most ravaging after-effects.

For more information, visit http://www.estheticamd.com/