For those of us who have problems with occasional or not so occasional acne, getting a pimple right before some important or special event is a dreaded scenario.
There are quite a few safe and quick remedies for pimples. Some will reduce swelling and redness; others will actually shrink the pimple as well. Here are a few of them.
First of all, you should never pop, pick or squeeze pimples, no matter how tempted you are. This can cause inflammation and lead to scars or darkened areas of the face. It may also spread the oils and bacteria to other areas of the face, which can lead to more acne. Also, squeezing leaves an opening in the skin, which can sometimes lead to a severe infection. Never pop pimples.
To reduce a pimple's redness, and swelling, apply ice (either cube or pack) to it every half hour for about 2 minutes. It will also reduce any inflammation and pain the pimple causes.
Wash your face several times a day with an acne cleanser or mild, perfume free soap. Use a pad or cloth and gently scrub your skin. A gentle rubbing ensures that your skin's natural oils are not removed. Over rubbing can actually aggravate pimples causing them to become more inflamed and even redder.
Cover up pimples with a product that's designed to conceal them. It should be applied lightly and match the color of your skin. This is for those times when you can't "work" on a pimple, and need a quick cover up.
For another quickie pimple fighter, you can reduce swelling, redness, inflammation and irritation by pressing a cotton ball with a little lemon juice on it, or a wet tea bag, for 5 or 6 minutes.
And for another, put a small amount of toothpaste right on the pimple in the morning and before bedtime. The menthol in the toothpaste will help dry pimples out and reduce their redness. Make sure it's the white paste variety.
Use creams that contain benzyl peroxide on acne, either on individual pimples or the whole face. Many products that contain benzyl peroxide are available over the counter. You can also use products that contain salicylic acid. Products with both of these ingredients should be used with care since they can dry the skin or cause problems if you have sensitive skin.
You can treat pimples with aspirin (which is also salicylic acid). Crush 2 aspirins and mix with enough cold water to make a paste. Apply to pimples overnight and rinse thoroughly in the morning.
Acne can result from a buildup of oil in the pores, so use oil free makeup. Make sure you thoroughly remove makeup before bead using a cleanser that will deeply clean all dirt, oil and makeup.
These tips should have a rather quick effect on your acne. Usually just a day or 2 to will produce a noticeable difference. Remember, these are not intended to correct recurring or severe acne problems. For those problems you should consult with a qualified dermatologist or your doctor.
Acne can be debilitating to your skin and your self esteem. Get more info on acne at Acne info | |
