The War on Pimples... and What You Can Do!
Apr 12 '01
The Bottom Line No one likes blemishes - that's for sure. But if you put your mind to it, you can fight the war on pimples... and win!
Acne. Pimples. Blemishes.
No one likes these words. They aren't pretty. They don't signify pretty things.
But there are lots of people who have them, and even more who want to take control of their faces (and their lives!). Blemishes aren't a fun thing, and no one likes to deal with them.
Where Did That Thing Come From?
Often, your body will produce too much oil. This oil, which comes from a gland by the hair follicles in your face, when in excess, gets together with dead skin cells on the surface of your skin and and plugs up your pore - this is how whiteheads and blackheads are formed. Sometimes, when a pore becomes blocked, bacteria gets trapped by the plug down in the follicle, too, and when this happens, the blemish gets inflamed and you got those hard little red bumps.
So NOW What Do I Do?
To prevent acne, you need to do the following things:
*ONE: Avoid Touch (on your face at least)
*TWO: Keep It Clean
*THREE: Wear Sunscreen
*FOUR: did I mention not to touch it?
Number ONE
When I had shorter hair, I had bangs that constantly touched my forehead. Subsequently, I broke out all over my forehead. Coincidence? I think not.
It often helps if you keep your hair off of your face. Avoid touching your face. And avoid touching things with your face, too. Change your pillowcase every other day, and flip it over every night, so that your face has a nice, clean place to rest every night. Wash your face after talking on the phone for a long time (especially a pay phone.. ewww...). Don't put your head on a desk. Don't let people with their dirty, oil spreading, bacteria covered hands touch your nice clean face. It makes sense. And it helps a lot.
*Pimple Popping
Oh yeah.. and don't pick pimples.
What, you're saying? What about those big, fat, juicy whiteheads just begging to be popped?
I must confess. Popping pimples is deeply satisfying in a sick, disgusting way that I don't like to express to people because I think that they'll think less of me. But I love it. It's so much fun. But it's bad, bad, bad. You shouldn't do it at all. If you have the urge, make a dermatologist appointment - they have a nifty tool to do it and it's a lot more sterile than your dirty fingers.
*But I REALLY Want To!
Then wash your hands. Really well. Then wash your face. Really well. Don't use your nails, only use the pads of your finger tips. And remember that the horrible red mark, the possibility of bleeding and scarring, and all of that jazz is not worth the satisfaction of pimple popping. See a dermatologist or wait it out.
Number TWO
Keep your face clean. Wash it at least twice a day, and whenever you come in contact with any of those dirty, icky things that comes in contact with your face during the day. Cleanse your face twice a day. If your face is not very sensitive, you could use a toner, but this can aggrevate acne in some people. Exfoliate at least twice a week, but not every day - it can wreck havoc on your skin. And, if you exfoliate, it is important that you mosturize with a good, oil-free mosturizer. It really will help soothe your skin after the exfoliation.
Number THREE
A lot of people think that the sun is good for your skin, that tans are healthy and that the sun helps clear up acne. It's true in moderation. Sunburns, on the other hand, are not fun in any situation. Especially if you have acne - your face may produce more oil because of the sunburn, causing your face to break out more. Plus it doesn't look pretty. And if you are using any product that contains Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, many prescription topical products or many oral antibiotics used to treat acne, your skin is more prone to being sunburn. Find a good oil-free mosturizer that has an SPF and put it on every morning - that way, you're helping your skin not become overdry and you're getting your daily SPF in their early. It's important.
But What If This Doesn't Work?
No product can guarantee miracles (please email me if you find one, I'd love to use it!). If you still have horrific acne after following this, or any other regiment for a long period of time, see a dermatologist. They have topical products as well as oral products that can do a lot to help people with acne. I spent years looking for something that could help me - and I discovered that prescription Differin and tetracyline, from my dermatologist, was just what I needed to have the clear(er) skin I always dreamed of.
Hope this helps you all and good luck on the continuing war on pimples!
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