Acne Articles

Acne is recognized by most experts as one of the most common, chronic skin conditions, endured by millions of people worldwide. Acne usually comes about during our teenage years, but there are plenty of adults also dealing with acne who would certainly argue that this is just an issue for teens. There are several factors suspected of being causes of acne, though no one has narrowed it down to a single cause. The usual suspects you're likely familiar with include heredity, hormonal changes and excess oil on the skin. The overwhelming impact acne can have on a person's self-esteem is an often overlooked aspect of this condition. But by following a few simple guidelines, you can help prevent future outbreaks while working on clearing up any acne that has already formed.

(Note that these guidelines tend to be focused on acne present on the face since that's the most common area it shows up, but the same guidelines apply wherever acne may form)

Acne Prevention Rule #1: Avoid Oil-Based Products Avoid products that are oil-based. Since acne forms as a result of your skin producing too much oil, it makes sense that you would want to stay away from oily products. In addition, if you wear makeup or use any other sorts of products on your skin, be sure you purchase products that don't clog your pores. The last thing you want to do is continue using products that only enhance the problem.

Acne Prevention Rule #2: Keep Your Face Clean You should do your best to keep your skin as clean as possible. This means that ideally two times a day, you will wash your face with mild soap using gentle motions. You don't want to wash too aggressively or use soap or cleansers that are too strong as this might aggravate the condition, making things even worse. The same applies when drying your face also and it might even be a good idea to pat it dry rather than rubbing your face with a towel.

Acne Prevention Rule #3: Do Not Pick It You should never try to pick at your acne or pop your pimples. Doing so might have the short-term effect of making the pimple less pronounced, but in the long run, it will only help spread acne to other areas of your face or body.

Acne Prevention Rule #4: Minimize Rubbing on Your Face If you play sports or are involved in anything that requires you to wear equipment that rubs against your face, you should try to minimize the amount of rubbing and friction on the acne-affected areas since this can aggravate the problem.

Acne Prevention Rule #5: Avoid Areas With Airborne Grease Airborne grease such as what you typically find in fast food restaurants can cause problems for some people. The excess grease can remain in the air, end up on your face and have the same effect as the excess oil your skin is already producing. This is not to say that you should avoid fast food restaurants (other than the obvious reasons that don't apply to acne) but this is something you should be aware of and keep in mind if you happen to work in such an environment.

Acne Prevention Rule #6: Try Lots of Acne Remedies to Find What Works Consider trying different types of acne medications or other treatments. Some treatments may take awhile to work while others can produce very fast results. But we all react a little differently to different products so figuring out what works best for you may take a little trial and error. Benzoyl Peroxide-based creams and other products are found to be effective by some acne patients. It is included in many of the products you can find at your local drug store thanks to its antibacterial and acne-fighting properties. In fact, studies have shown that this chemical is effective for getting rid of acne-causing bacteria on the skin.

There are a wide range of other acne-fighting medications and remedies on the market to choose from, which you can get either through your doctor or at your local drug store. In addition, many people find great success with herbal or homemade acne remedies.

Be sure to practice good acne prevention while you continue using one of these acne remedies to treat your current acne outbreaks and you should see the frequency of acne outbreaks go down over time.