Acne Treatment Tips

Dealing with acne can be embarassing at any age. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do everyday to make sure your skin is less prone to flare ups. Here are five tips for taking control of your acne starting today.

1. Exercise - Keeping in shape can help fight acne by fighting off negative stress levels that can come from negative self-esteem and depression. However, some safeguards need to be in place to ward off acne that can result from your workout routines. Watch what you put on your body with regards to clothing, sports gear and equipment.

For example, tight lycra and nylon exercise outfits might look great in the movies and on magazine models, but if you are susceptible to acne problems, avoid these synthetic fabrics that tend to trap in body moisture and heat resulting in a bacteria frenzy. Instead, choose loose clothing made of cotton or natural blends to allow more air to get to your skin.

And when you are finished with your workout, get out of clothing wet from perspiration or water sports. Shower and change into dry, clean clothing. And keep your sports gear and equipment clean, too. Dirty headgear, for instance, can irritate forehead areas prone to acne problems. So toss headbands into the washing machine after workout sessions.

2. Cosmetics - To avoid pore-clogging and skin irritations that are similar to acne and that can contribute to acne, use products labeled noncomedogenic or oil-free. Shimmering facial colors can contain a flaky mineral called mica that can cause skin irritations and clog pores. Other additives in coloring that can cause similar reactions are coal tar derivatives, carmine and heavy cream in blushes.

More preventative measures include using a lip gloss that promotes a matte finish instead of a high gloss for less pore-clogging; note the more the shine, the more then comedogenic content and the more the pores can clog. Beware that eye creams can contain heavier concentrations of moisturizers than regular creams and lotions, meaning they have greater potential to clog pores in the surrounding facial areas.

3. Diet - Studies show that diet does not play a role in either the cause or the treatment of acne. However, what is recommended for acne preventative care is this: what is best for your body is best for your skin, especially since your skin is the largest organ of your body. So remember to watch your diet and consume healthy vitamins, minerals and other supplements. This will help to prevent and help conquer acne breakout.

4. Hygiene - A healthy skin regimen should include no harsh scrubbing or over-washing, because this can cause possible skin irritation or possible over production of oil to replace what has washed off, clogging pores in the process. Products with gentle exfoliation ingredients are OK to use; i.e. not scratchy nut or fruit shell pieces that can tear skin. And skip alcohol products when possible; these can take off the top layer of your skin and cause your glands to product more oil, clogging pores in the process.

If you do spot acne-troubled areas, do NOT mess with them. Remember that these are already weeks in the making, and squeezing or picking blemishes can force the infected area to regress back inside, further troubling the region and possibly leave a scar. If necessary, seek help from a dermatologist for alternative treatments.

5. Shaving - Shaving for both genders is actually an excellent way of exfoliating or removing dead skin to help with the prevention and spreading of acne instead of leaving the remains to clog pores. And for some light acne cases already in process, shaving can help rid whiteheads and blackheads from the face. A word of caution: for areas with infection or high inflammatory activity (redness, sensitive, open acne, sores, etc.), do not shave. Or at the very least, use a shaving cream for sensitive skin!

Social and Treatment Tips for Acne Sufferers

Here are a variety of tips to help with acne prevention and treatment and skin maintenance. They are listed in no particular order of importance.

- Do get plenty of fresh air and sunshine for vitamin D, ingredients for healthy skin. Not only will your skin appreciate the vitamin D, your body and mind will enjoy the oxygen and stress reducer of a daily jaunt outdoors. But don’t overdo it and get a sunburn! Remember to use sun protection / tanning lotions if you’ll be out long. You don’t want to get caught up in that cycle of burned, dead skin cells blocking pores, resulting in acne scenario.

- Remember, even "good" stress can trigger internal chemical responses that result in acne, too. So plan ahead to deal with extra stress when planning a wedding, graduation, a move, a new job, a job transfer, a new baby, etc. Journal a little extra, focusing on the upcoming issue or issues and plan in some extra rest (use relaxation or meditation tools – cassettes, workshops, etc.) Get help around the house, take time off, exercise (yoga and T’ai Chi are highly recommended), have fun or whatever you need to do. But be proactive. When you control stress, you help control the stress hormone cortisol - reducing its release as you reduce stress, thus reducing the effects of acne. Also activity and exercise help improve blood flow and circulation, natural healing aids for your skin (and other organs), enabling improved waste management, via pores for the skin’s waste removal.

- Note that both blackheads and whiteheads are filled with trapped sebum and bacteria. So the prevention and treatment advice for how to handle both blackheads and whiteheads is essentially the same.

- Drink an adequate amount of water daily. Many recommend three to four tall glasses and mineral or filtered water. Too little water can lead to dehydration, which can lead to dead skin cells not naturally falling off or sloughing properly; the end result can be blocked pores, acne.

- Acne has nothing to do with dirt. Period. So don’t over-wash or over-scrub your face or the rest of your body. Keep in mind that too much can result in dry skin. And dry skin means your body will jump in and create more oil. Then what? Extra oil + extra dead skin cells = blocked pores, triggering acne flare-ups. Same old story.

- Add more fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts to your regular diet. (Note that deficiencies if selenium and zinc, found in Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds, have been associated with acne.) So add salads, dried fruit and nut snacks, juices and other healthy treats to your daily planning.

- Decrease your dietary intake of caffeine, sugar and refined carbohydrates (carbs) and caffeine. Some studies show that caffeine can increases the levels of stress hormones inside your body, provoking or worsening acne conditions. So with regards to tea, coffee, chocolate and other caffeinated beverages - - skip ‘em where possible. With regards to sugar and refined carbs, same thing.

Sugar and refined carbs, like in white bread, rice, flour, pasta, etc., can result in an insulin surge, resulting further in an excess of male hormones that stimulate skin to discharge lots of sebum. Then it’s back to that cycle again: sugar or refined carbs lead to increased insulin, leads to increased hormones and sebum - the sticky sebum clogs pores, bacteria grows, acne results.

- Decrease your dietary intake of red meat and dairy products. Since both are more difficult for our bodies to digest, their acid-forming properties are linked by some to our bodies’ health. In a nutshell, some researchers say that when the body puts forth effort in the digestion of high levels of animal protein, waste products are not completely processed as usual; i.e. they can shed slowly, blocking pores, causing acne. Other acne-causing problems with red meat and dairy products are the high levels of hormones they contain that in turn generate more in humans that can cause acne. And the dairy tolerance levels of some humans can result in acne issues as well. Some solutions could be to include other dietary remedies for both — like lean meats and nut milk or soymilk products.

- Focus on using natural products for your skin. And avoid unnecessary chemicals in your skin / body products that can be harmful. It’s that same cycle: foreign chemicals work against the skin, removing natural oils. The skin works overtime to produce more oils then. And what happens? Pores get blocked and acne results. To prevent this, here are some tips:

A. Use non-pore clogging or noncomedogenic products like make-ups and tanning lotions.
B. Use this rule of thumb when using products that contain chemicals: a little goes a long way.
C. Look for any combination of these terms on labels: natural ingredients, antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral and / or antimicrobial agent.