Upon hitting puberty, many women face the problem of facial acne. Some also suffer with body acne which leaves them feeling under confident and low about themselves. Acne can hit women at any age – especially during pregnancy when, due to hormone imbalance, oil secretions increase leading to eruptions. Other reasons for acne breakouts may include: not cleaning up make-up properly after use, incorrect exfoliation, cleansingand hydration of skin.
What really causes acne is that when sweat glands on the skin become blocked with excess sebum and dead skin, the trapped bacteria in these blockages cause breakouts. These breakouts are called nothing but acne.
Rules to Combat Acne
How does one get rid of the problem? It is essential to find out the cause first. If you’ve had an acne problem running in the family, prevention becomes a priority. If you do not know the proper make-up cleansing regimen, then you need to figure that out first. If your diet has undergone a drastic change – increase in sugars, tea, coffee or oily food – you need to be able to acknowledge and modify the same. Usually skin care and diet change really help the problem to go away slowly.
However, the first rule of dealing with the condition is to BE PATIENT. Women tend to switch medicines, doctors, home remedies so soon that their effectiveness is lost. Also, VISIT AN EXPERT. You may not be able to afford further treatments, but you can get insight into why this is happening to you. Alternative home remedies may be applied once you figure out the real reason behind it.
Some Do’s –
- Keep your face Oil Free
There are loads of wet wipes or wash cloths that can keep excess oil out of your face. It is recommended that one washes face twice or thrice to reduce oil which will help in keeping outbreak to a minimum. Make sure that you do not wash your face so many times that it becomes dry. Dry skin will only cause itchiness and further inflammation.
- Use Products With -
Salicylic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide as these can help you with keeping oil secretions under control and prevent dead skin from piling up. Also home remedies such as neem water,cucumber face masks, fresh papaya masks – can really help with keeping your skin clean and controlling oil. A home remedy of mudpack and rose water helps in taking away excess oil without drying the skin out. There are other essential oils that you can use but those should be used with expert guidance and prescription as each one’s skin is very different.
- Lessen Stress
Acne sufferers may have noticed that when they are happy the outbreaks are less and when they are stressed, the acne comes back with a vengeance. That is because, stress causes the hormones to secrete more oil than usual and the build up of dead skin is also faster. Thus eruptions are more likely to occur.
- Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!
We could have put this under the “Lessen Stress” header, but this is one advice most women tend to ignore. It is good that one takes care of the skin through elaborate skin cleansing regimen. However, exercising helps in unclogging pores naturally and also releases happy hormones. One is likely to be able to cope with stress much better and voila! This results in lesser breakouts. Coupled with cleansing routine of the skin, acne is more likely to be reduced and cured.
- Diet Matters
Ayurveda advises that eating oily, pungent, acidic, excess sweet foods will aid the body in producing more heat and oil. This creates a cycle of oil secretion which none of the cleansing methods can combat. Drinking water (at least 2-3 litres) is very helpful. It helps in balancing the system.
- Hygiene
Using dermatologist prescribed washing powder and keeping your personal hygiene up to the mark (showering regularly, keeping scalp clean by regular head washes etc). This will ensure that exposed pores are not infected with old oil secretions left on clothes. Also, it will prevent spreading of acne to other parts of the body. Wear clothes which are made of cotton or a combination which allows skin to breathe and lets it remain dry and less itchy.
- Try Spas, Laser Treatments – Only SOS
Yes, in the same breath – spas help in really combating acne. Laser treatments are said to be very effective yet a painful way of removing acne. However, effectiveness of the treatment depends upon if the condition is genetic or environmentally induced. Hence we cannot stress more upon expert advice. Moreover, these treatments are not recommended on a regular basis, unless there is a wedding or an important occasion where one has to look one’s best.
Some Dont’s –
- Do Not Break The 30 Days Rule
We suggest not switching from one treatment to another without giving the treatment a chance. Ayurveda and acupressure advise that the treatment should be of at least a 30 day period. Only then will its effectiveness be known. Herbal treatments take time to show their effectiveness, unlike allopathic medicines. In case you are following an allopathic course, it is advised not to start simultaneous herbal or homeopathy medicines. You will never be able to figure out which treatment is working for you! In the end you will end up spending loads without getting any insight into your problem.
- Do Not Touch Your Face / Affected Area of the Skin
It is recommended that you keep your hands off your face or affected area of the skin ensuring that you do not inflame the eruption more and prevent it from spreading to other parts of your skin. Through the day, we touch so many things and the bacteria that we carry to our faces, in case of contact will be harmful.
- Do Not Use Excess Makeup
Women are tempted to use makeup to hide eruptions. Trust us when we say that the more you put makeup on the more worse the acne problem might get. In case one really wants to use make-up we advice oil free make up to be used. Also, deep cleansing is definitely required by the end of the day. Lacto calamine is a great product to use to lessen itching and also gives you a slight base with which you can camouflage your marks or help them to appear lighter (do not apply on cracked skin).
- Do Not Ignore Your Periods
Teenagers and women usually notice that eruptions may increase as their dates come closer. Knowing your dates and ensuring an increase in the number of times one washes her face to completely keeping face free of make-up may really help. Also, avoiding oily, pungent, excess sweet foods two weeks in advance from your date will help you contain break outs for sure. Also, keeping a tab on your periods will help you figure out the condition of your hormone imbalance.
It is so important to be able to keep these basic rules in mind. However, most women blame paucity of time or their poor memories for neglecting these rules. Acne is not something that has to stay with us for a lifetime, as a curse. It can be cured with these simple precautions. There are those who have successfully combated acne with persistence and patience – we do hope that women do keep these rules under consideration and are motivated to get rid of acne.
