Home
Blog
Skincare Info Skincare Articles
Skincare Reviews
Extras Newsletter
Link To Us
Site Info Our Story
Beauty Bliss
Contact Us
Site Policies

[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

 

Acne Skincare Tips

Acne Help & Acne Solutions For Problematic Pimples

Virtually every person will need acne skincare at some point. Whether it is due to hormonal changes during puberty or pregnancy, due to changes in your environment or skincare routine or a reaction to a treatment or product, we all experience those annoying little whiteheads.

Some of us experience more than that. They get the large, angry red cystic acne that never gets a head but is incredibly swollen and painful.

Acne differs from person to person and situation to situation. So, what works for your best friend or even your sister may not give you the same results. The secret is patience while you try new products and trying them long enough to see a result and watching your skin closely for signs that you need different acne solutions.

Keeping this in mind, let’s explore what causes acne, how your skin type may be affected by acne and what acne help exists for you.

What Is Acne?

Simply defined…

Acne is a bacterial infection of your hair follicles.

Acne is appears most often in the teenage years, when hormones are erratic and oil production is starting. At this point sebum is being produced in large quantities. The oil your sebaceous glands produces (sebum) not only helps the hair grow out of the follicle, and not become ingrown, but also helps keep your skin soft and supple.

Sometimes, you can have too much oil production and you wind up with Oily Skin, which is not uncommon for acne sufferers.

When this oil and sebum is trapped in the glands it can become infected. Dirty pores don't cause pimples, but overactive oil glands do! The oil makes the pores sticky and that traps the bacteria.

This is the point when you notice the swelling, redness and whiteheads. In short, pimples.

But, It’s Caused By Eating Fries And Chocolate, Right?

WRONG!

Acne is NOT caused by eating fatty foods, improper hygiene (although this can irritate the problem), or chocolate. This is a myth.

An oily face may be part of the problem, but it is not the whole problem. People with dry skin also get acne.

You may also notice acne is hereditary in your family. This is a legitimate cause, but because you eat a chocolate bar does not mean you will get pimples or that you are making them worse.

Types Of Acne

Finding the right acne help depends on what type of pimples you are experiencing. The acne skincare is different for each, so it's important you know which kind you have.

There are two different types of acne. They are:

Whiteheads

and

Cystic Acne

Blackheads are not, and should not be, confused with acne.

You may experience one or both types of acne. You most likely will have blackheads. With regular acne skincare, though, your blackheads should decrease.

Cystic Acne

Cystic acne is acne that does not get a whitehead. It forms a large red welt. If you try to pop it, which you shouldn't do anyway for risk of scarring, you most likely will feel a pop underneath your skin. This is awful because the bacteria in the cyst is freed into your body.

Cystic acne doesn't have a cure. The best thing to do is visit your doctor and follow his recommendations. They will probably prescribe an antibiotic. Topical acne solutions are not going to work on cystic acne.

Whiteheads

Whiteheads are those ugly, swollen, infected messes that everyone dreads seeing in the mirror. The whitehead part is the physical bacterial infection. A topical acne skincare cream can help with whiteheads.

Don't Pop Those Pimples!

Why?

When you break the skin to get the bacteria out, even if you cleanse the pore, the pore is left open and more susceptible to infection. Stuff in the air and on your face is able to get in the pore more easily which can cause a re-infection and the process to start all over again.

Popping pimples can also cause enough damage to skin to leave scars. They can range from mild to severe, but you can avoid them totally by not popping.

Blackheads

Blackheads are not acne. They do not cause acne. They are just a nuisance. They are open pores and they are "black" because they are full of discarded skin pigment, dirt and sebum. They aren't good breeding grounds for bacteria because the clogging occurs on the surface of the skin, instead of below the skin like whiteheads. Read more about them here.

What Type Of Acne Skincare Should I Use?

Good question!

Like I said, visit your doctor or dermatologist if you feel you might be suffering from cystic or severe acne.

For those with an occasional pimple or mild acne, there are plenty of acne skincare and acne solutions available.

Cleanser: When you notice the red swelling of an impending pimple, try using a spot treatment cream with benzoyl peroxide, which is usually very effective. Also gently washing your skin with an antibacterial foam or wash works well too. Benzoyl peroxide and triclosan are the two most popular “active ingredient” facial washes available.

Moisturizer: After cleansing, which if you do in the shower will soften the skin and enlarge the pores for optimal cleansing, use an oil-free, non-comedogenic moisturizer.

Find Great Products For Acne At Great Prices...

Concealing: You can use green concealor on the blemish before you apply your makeup. Green will neutralize the red of the pimple. Using a little ice to reduce the swelling also helps.

Blackheads: For blackheads, try a masque or strip to remove and pull them out. The strips can be damaging to your skin if you use them too often, so stick to once a week. You might also choose to use a product to tighten your pores. That's fine as long as it is alcohol free. There are lots of blackhead treatments.

Avoid alcohol-based products because they will dry your face out. When your skin feels starved for moisture, your oil glands go into overtime. If you're trying to slow oil production, don't give your skin a reason to produce more. Remember, all the excess oil can get clogged in a pore and you’ll see a zit in a couple of days.

No matter how irritated your skin is, it can always get worse. Take good care of it by following our acne skincare tips.

Thank You For Checking Out Our Acne Skincare Tips!

Return To Skincare 411 Homepage.


footer for acne skincare page