Acne affects more than just skin. It’s tough adjusting to the physical changes that having acne brings about, but what’s seldom spoken about is the profound effect it has on self-esteem.
Because acne is generally a skin condition that affects people during puberty and on into their adulthood, the timing couldn’t be worse, considering that appearance plays a significant role during these transition years.
Studies have shown that many young people battling with acne struggle with depression and anxiety, which inevitably leads to a reduction in quality of life.
Social situations are avoided, and contact with outsiders becomes very difficult for some, which makes entering the job market even more difficult than it already is for any young adult fresh out of school or varsity.
The good news is that today there are many effective acne treatments that make living with acne a far less painful experience on all levels.
The major areas that need to be targeted in treating and looking after acne is to start at with treating excessive oil production, skin bacteria and blocked pores.
Here are a few tips that’ll help you deal with the stress of having acne:
Cleansing:
Washing your face twice a day is essential. This applies to everyone and not just to those with acne. Your daily face wash is designed to remove any impurities, extra oil and dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.
Whatever you do, avoid using hot water. Stick to using warm water with your facial cleanser. Stay away from harsh soaps, they’ll only cause further damage to inflamed skin and increase irritation of the skin.
Don’t scrub your skin. Use your hands or a soft cloth when washing, before making sure that you rinse your skin very well. Don’t use the same towel or cloth over and over again on your face, all it’ll do is spread bacteria even further, defeating the purpose of keeping acne skin clean.
Moisturising:
There are plenty of good moisturisers for oily skin available on the market, but be absolutely sure that you don’t choose one that’ll make your skin peel or dry it out too much. “Noncomedogenic” listed on the label of your moisturiser is a sure bet you’re on the right track.
Moisturising your skin is as important as keeping it clean is, so don’t skimp on it.
Over-the-counter products:
Before you head to your GP, have a look at what’s available over-the-counter for treating acne.
What you’ll be looking for is a product that will slow bacteria and dry your skin. Although you may find that when you start using these products your skin could peel or become excessively dry, experimenting with how much you use at a time will help to get the balance just right.
Shampooing:
People seldom consider the effect that what we wear on our heads can have on skin, and what we wash our hair with, can definitely have a negative impact on acne. Too much fragrance or oil used on your hair can irritate your skin and block the pores, negating the dedication you put into looking after it.
Stick to using a shampoo and conditioner that’s gentle, and avoid using hair putty or gel, no matter how tempting. If you have oily hair, try to keep it out of your face as much as possible.
Beware too much makeup:
For a start, read the label when buying makeup. There are noncomedogenic makeup products on the market that don’t cause acne. In any event, if you’re having a breakout, avoid wearing anything like foundation and powder at all, it’ll be worth the temporary sacrifice.
Avoid the sun:
Staying out of the sun is as equally important as any of the steps above.Hyperpigmentation and inflammation are the inevitable result of too much exposure to UV rays.A broad spectrum sunscreen containing zinc oxide is best for acne skin.
Eat fresh fruit, vegetable and whole grains and make sure you get enough exercise to keep yourself healthy on the inside, and, very importantly, take it easy to avoid stress breakouts on your skin.
If you’d like a little extra-special care in dealing with acne, make an appointment with the awesome team at Glo Laser & Beauty Clinic in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
They’d love to help make a difference to your skin, so that you’ll walk out of the salon glowing, ready to take on the world from a fresh perspective.
Because acne is generally a skin condition that affects people during puberty and on into their adulthood, the timing couldn’t be worse, considering that appearance plays a significant role during these transition years.
Studies have shown that many young people battling with acne struggle with depression and anxiety, which inevitably leads to a reduction in quality of life.
Social situations are avoided, and contact with outsiders becomes very difficult for some, which makes entering the job market even more difficult than it already is for any young adult fresh out of school or varsity.
The good news is that today there are many effective acne treatments that make living with acne a far less painful experience on all levels.
The major areas that need to be targeted in treating and looking after acne is to start at with treating excessive oil production, skin bacteria and blocked pores.
Here are a few tips that’ll help you deal with the stress of having acne:
Cleansing:
Washing your face twice a day is essential. This applies to everyone and not just to those with acne. Your daily face wash is designed to remove any impurities, extra oil and dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.
Whatever you do, avoid using hot water. Stick to using warm water with your facial cleanser. Stay away from harsh soaps, they’ll only cause further damage to inflamed skin and increase irritation of the skin.
Don’t scrub your skin. Use your hands or a soft cloth when washing, before making sure that you rinse your skin very well. Don’t use the same towel or cloth over and over again on your face, all it’ll do is spread bacteria even further, defeating the purpose of keeping acne skin clean.
Moisturising:
There are plenty of good moisturisers for oily skin available on the market, but be absolutely sure that you don’t choose one that’ll make your skin peel or dry it out too much. “Noncomedogenic” listed on the label of your moisturiser is a sure bet you’re on the right track.
Moisturising your skin is as important as keeping it clean is, so don’t skimp on it.
Over-the-counter products:
Before you head to your GP, have a look at what’s available over-the-counter for treating acne.
What you’ll be looking for is a product that will slow bacteria and dry your skin. Although you may find that when you start using these products your skin could peel or become excessively dry, experimenting with how much you use at a time will help to get the balance just right.
Shampooing:
People seldom consider the effect that what we wear on our heads can have on skin, and what we wash our hair with, can definitely have a negative impact on acne. Too much fragrance or oil used on your hair can irritate your skin and block the pores, negating the dedication you put into looking after it.
Stick to using a shampoo and conditioner that’s gentle, and avoid using hair putty or gel, no matter how tempting. If you have oily hair, try to keep it out of your face as much as possible.
Beware too much makeup:
For a start, read the label when buying makeup. There are noncomedogenic makeup products on the market that don’t cause acne. In any event, if you’re having a breakout, avoid wearing anything like foundation and powder at all, it’ll be worth the temporary sacrifice.
Avoid the sun:
Staying out of the sun is as equally important as any of the steps above.Hyperpigmentation and inflammation are the inevitable result of too much exposure to UV rays.A broad spectrum sunscreen containing zinc oxide is best for acne skin.
Eat fresh fruit, vegetable and whole grains and make sure you get enough exercise to keep yourself healthy on the inside, and, very importantly, take it easy to avoid stress breakouts on your skin.
If you’d like a little extra-special care in dealing with acne, make an appointment with the awesome team at Glo Laser & Beauty Clinic in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
They’d love to help make a difference to your skin, so that you’ll walk out of the salon glowing, ready to take on the world from a fresh perspective.
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