Loading ...Acne is one thing that most people have struggled with at one point. To get rid of it, you are going to have to make a concerted effort to do so. As much as I’d like to tell you there is an easy way to get rid of acne pimples, the fact remains that it can often take a long time to see results.
There are a number of acne treatment systems on the market that make outrageous claims. Before you make any sudden acne treatment purchases, do your research. There is no instant acne cure.
What Is Acne?
Acne can describe a number of skin problems such as blackheads, whiteheads, and zits. Acne is most common in teenagers, but it can effect adults too (this is called adult acne) and even newborns! The initial response you might to pimples is to squeeze them or pick at them – don’t! This can make the problem even worse and lead to scaring.
What Causes Acne Pimples?
There are a number of so called “causes” behind acne. The real truth is that scientists are still not completely sure what exactly causes acne and how to cure it completely. Still, we do have a basic understanding of the way pimples form.
Your hair follicles have tiny glands that produce a substance known as sebum (or more commonly known as “skin oil). The natural process is for the oil to mix with the skin cells and eventually reach the surface of the skin. But when overproduction of sebum occurs, or some sort of blockage occurs in the poor (too many dead skin cells, or something on the surface of the skin impedes the oil), the skin oil becomes trapped within the pore. The skin oil then mixes with the dead skin cells and bacteria, forming blackheads or whiteheads (see you post about how to get rid of blackheads). If the area becomes infected (due to the bacteria present and the body’s reaction to the bacteria), pimples form. Walla! Acne is formed.
How to Get Rid of Acne Pimples
So you have acne. What can you do about it? Many things actually – the next 2000 words are devoted to some of the more effective and proven acne treatments.
Proper Facial Skin Care Regimen
This is probably one of the most important things you can do to treat your acne problem. A proper facial regimen includes three things:
- Wash face with mild facial scrub/non-comedogenic soap
- Application of Acne Medication
- Application of some non-greasy moisturizer
While you don’t need any sort of acne medication, most people who suffer from chronic acne will find they need some sort of acne treatment to get rid of pimples for good.
Follow an Acne Treatment Program
There are a number of popular acne treatment regiments for sale. These offer you an “all in one” treatment solution that you can follow. While these treatment systems are not a requirement, they can be pretty effective if you use them. How effective? It depends on your skin and how long you use the treatments. Certainly a large number of people who use some of the treatment systems completely eliminate their acne problems. Still, there are no guarantees.
If you are interested, here are the three most popular treatment programs.
- Proactiv – the most popular program and the most expensive. Reviews are mixed.
- ClearPores – this program has a very good reputation.
- The Regimen – the most affordable “all in one” acne treatment solution. May or may not work, however.
We want to make it clear that these treatment kits basically offer you three things:
- A facial cleaner
- An acne treatment solution (Benzoyle Peroxide or Salycicy Acid)
- A moisturizer to combat skin dryness caused by the acne treatment solution
If you are on a shoestring budget, you can put together your own kit by just buying these items yourself on Amazon.com
Use an Acne Medication
There are a number of acne medications on the market. They fall into either topical acne treatments or oral acne treatments (you ingest the treatment via pill). There is a world of a difference between the treatments with the oral treatments requiring a dermatologists prescription.
Topical Medications for Acne:
- Benzoyly Peroxide Based Treatments
This is one of the most frequently used acne medications on the market. It’s the stable ingredient for most over-the-counter acne treatments as gels, lotions, and scrubs. BP works because acne cannot live in oxygen rich environment. BP creates said environment inside the pores which reduces the bacteria population (the P. acnes bacteria) and thus the number of bacteria-induced breakouts. Benzolye Peroxide also helps rid the skin follicles of extra dead skin cells. Clearing away such obstructions will reduce the chance of comedone blackheads forming (blackheads) and thus prevent potential breakouts.
Benzoly Peroxide comes in 1%, 2.5%, 5%, and even 10% formulations. The stronger the formulation, the more effective it is. However, it’s also more likely to irritate the skin.
- Salicyclic Acid Based Treatments
Salicylic acid is another effective acne treatment and like Benzoly peroxide, is found in many over-the-counter treatments. It works as an exfoliate by helping to remove dead skin cells from the pores. Like BP, Salicylic acid can penetrate the follicle, helping to keep the pore free from cellular debree. By reducing the number of blockages, it can help prevent comedone formation and the resulting infection (pimples) that may follow.
Difference between Salcylic Acid and Benzoyle Peroxide for Acne Treatments?
Both products work as an exfoliant, but BP has the added bonus of preventing the formation of bacteria because it induces oxegen into the pores. Because of this, it’s generally considered a more effective treatment than Salicylic acid. Both treatments can be used in conjunction, though you should do so gradually.
- Tea Tree Oil
This medication comes from the Australian Tea Tree. The substance has been used as a traditional Australian aboriginal treatment for skin cuts, burns, and infections. Tea Tree Oil contains terpenoids which are antiseptic and antifungal in property.
Studies have shown that Tea Tree Oil has the equivilant effectiveness of 5% benzoyl peroxide for people with mild to moderate acne. It’s been shown to have a significant impact on reducing inflammation of the acne lesions. Compared to BP, it’s perhaps been shown to be slightly less effective and takes longer to work. However, Tea Tree Oil has far fewer side effects such as itching, burning, and drying out of the skin. Note that these remedies can also be used to treat blackheads and whiteheads too.
Oral Medications for Acne:
- Oral Antibiotics
These work by reducing the p. acne bacteria present. You will always start with a high dosage at first and move to a lower dosage with time. This type of medication is used for moderate to severe acne.
The most common oral antibiotics are:
- erythromycin
- tetracycline
- minocycline
- doxycycline
The list is not comprehensive, but a list of the more popular oral antibiotics — new ones come out every year or two.
- Oral Contraceptives
Contraceptives (also known as birth control pills) are an effective way to treat moderate to severe acne in women. These work by reducing the skin oil secretions by inhibiting hormone production. Oral contraceptives are a good choice for women needing birth control since you ge can prevent pregnancy while reducing acne.
Some of the more popular oral contraceptives used to treat acne are:
- Yaz
- Estrostep
- Ortho Tri-Cylen
Note: you will need to consult a doctor before purusing oral contraceptives to reduce acne.
- Isotrentinoin
This is perhaps the most “powerful” acne treatment around. The most popular treatment containing Isotrentinoin is Accutate.Isotrentinoin medication works by shirnking the sebaceous glands which then reduces skin oil and therefore reducing the number of comedones produced in the skin pores. Accutane is only ever recommended for the most severe cases of acne (such as cystic acne) because of the terrible side effects that may occur. You must consult a dermatologist before starting any sort of Isotrentinoin treatment.
Avoid Oil-Based Cosmetics
Acne forms when skin oil is trapped in the pores. Oil-based skin products can contribute to skin-oil being blocked. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you either avoid cosmetics completely if you have acne (not a likely option for you women) or seek out cosmetics that are oil-free (acne makeup). Even if you do wear makeup that’s not oil-based, you should seek to minimize makeup use.
Wash Your Face with Mild, Non Comedogenic Soaps
Washing your face with harsh soaps is a sure way to make your acne condition even worse. It’s best to only put gentle products on your soap – gentle face washes, non-comeogenic soaps and moisturizers.
Don’t Touch Your Face!
You can make your acne problem worse by touching your face. Yes, this also means you should avoid squeezing your pimples or otherwise touching your zits. While it can be tempting to pop that zit, there are some problems with doing so. Your fingers, for one, may be covered with oil and bacteria. Touching your pimples may spread these to your affected area. By touching your pimple, you may inadvertently damage the sebaceous gland which then could create an impacted pimple.
You can still pop a pimple if you absolutely have to, but make sure you either use a sterilized needle to lance it, then gently squeeze with your fingers.
Drink More Water
Water can help flush the toxins out of your body. If you are not drinking 8 cups of water a day, you should be. In fact, it could be that simply drinking more water could drastically reduce your pimples.
Try Steaming Your Face
Steaming your face can help to open up your pores which can prevent blockages. If you can make this a part of your daily facial regimen, you should see some benefits.
Avoid Stress
Stress can cause an increase in sebum production in your skin. This will almost always translate into additional breakouts. It’s quite common for people to note that in stressful times, breakouts occur more frequently.
Stress can also contribute to acne breakouts because certain stress hormones are released by your hypothalamus. As this hormone is produced, your body goes into the “fight or flight mode” – your heart rate increases, your perceptions are enhanced, and your skin produces more oil (sebum) in the glands.
You can avoid stress through lifestyle choices:
- Healthy Diet (eating lean meats, complex carbs, veggies, and drinking lots of water)
- Exercise
- Avoid Drinking and Smoking
Make Good Life Style Choices
Although there is no “direct” link between acne and lifestyle, there may be some connections.
- Eat Healthy!
You might be able to reduce acne breakouts by living a healthy life. That includes avoiding foods with saturated fats/transfats, and eating lean meats, complex carbs (brown rice, yams, sweet potatoes), and a regular supply of green vegetables. Drinking lots of water is important too.
- Exercise
Try Home Remedies for Acne
There are a number of so called home remedies that people swear get rid of pimples. Many of these remedies are not substantiated, but you might try some of them – they seem to work for some people and they are cheap/free to try
- Toothpaste — this is probably the most popular. Apply toothpaste to your pimples before going to bed and wash it off in the morning.
- Backing Soda – Mix baking soda with a bit of water and apply the paste to your pimples before going to bed. Wash off in the morning
- Lemon Juice – Put pure lemon juice on your pimples twice a day
Exotic Acne Treatments
- Low-intensity light
Acne has been shown to be vulnerable to low intensity light. Acne breakouts are caused because the P. acnes bacteria are attracted to clogged pores. Those bacteria often cause a reaction with the body, resulting in swelling and liaisons. Low intensity light treatments will help to kill the bacteria. This treatment is effective at reducing or eliminating acne as long as you continue the treatments.
- Microdermabrasion
One treatment that may be effective for some are microdermabrasion treatments. Microdermabrasion is a process where tiny aluminum oxide particals are bombarded over your face. It sounds painful, but it’s not. At the same time your face is “blasted” with these particles, they are vacuumed from your skin. Microdermabrasion only effects the outer layer of your skin which leaves your skin looking smoother and cleaner. It will take more than one treatment, however, to see good results (usually over a few months).
- Laser Acne Treatments
It seems like laser is used in everything these days, from teeth whitening to acne treatments. Laser acne treatments work like this: pulsating light is focused on the affected areas of the skin which creates a heat bubble under the skin. This heat bubble causes thermal damage to the sebaceous glands (responsible for causing sebum oil), which reduces their production of skin oil. Less oil means less breakouts. The treatment will cause slight discomfort, however, and your face may swell up for a few days.
Final Word on Getting Rid of Acne
Acne can be a devastating condition – it not only effects the skin but your confidence as well. The good news for you is that you can get rid of acne for good. The key thing to remember is that you need to be proactive in your approach to treating your acne.
Whatever treatment option you seek out, make sure you follow the treatment every day. Consistency is key as is time. No treatment works right away and for many of the treatments, you can expect it to take 2-4 months before you start to see improvements!
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