Acne, That one word can send fear into the hearts of teenagers and adults alike. It’s a fact of life that typically only lasts through those big hormonal changes, although some of the population suffers far worse than others. Maybe you’ve already armed yourself with everything you need to combat your blemish situation, but that’s only half the battle. Here are some of the top things that you shouldn’t be doing to avoid bringing your acne on with a vengeance.
How it forms
Let’s first look at what acne is, and how it forms. We all have something called sebaceous glands that produce something called sebum (which is a type of oil). When everything is in balance, the sebum doesn’t cause any issues and our skin stays clear. When our glands produce too much sebum, however, pores can become clogged with that and any dead skin cells. This is how acne starts.
Top things not to do if you’re combating acne
- First of all, it’s great that you’ve got a drawer full of acne-fighting agents to help you out, but when was the last time you used them? These products can work, but they must be used regularly and for the recommended duration of time. Each time you skip a session, you set yourself (and your skin) back.
- You may feel that your skin suffers breakouts because it’s attracted too much dirt. This generally isn’t the case, and washing your face too often is just as bad as not washing it enough! Try to limit washing your face to once in the morning and once in the evening before bed.
- Keep your phone at a safe distance. Yup – you read that right. Your phone picks up all manner of bacteria during the day, and if it’s not cleaned regularly, guess where that bacteria ends up as you press the phone to your face to chat? Another good tip is to keep your hands off. The more you touch your face, the more oil you could be transferred, which could result in even more breakouts.
- When washing, use only clean cloths and be gentle. A damp cloth can collect bacteria so it’s a good practise to wash the cloths after each use and just grab a new one each time you wash. A furious scrubbing can irritate your skin further, so use a soft touch and always pat to dry instead of wiping.
- Don’t pop! It can be the most tempting thing in the world to just squeeze and pop that pimple, but this can lead to further stresses on your skin as well as infection and awful red irritation. If you just can’t leave the pimples alone, a better way of dealing with them is to treat each one with an anti-acne fighting agent.
Acne is a tough thing to deal with, but if you stick to your acne-fighting program and limit the things you can do to create a bigger problem, you’ll be well on your way to a fresh, acne clear face in no time!
