Hi guys! I'm back with yet another beauty lesson. This time around, I will be going through all the nasty stuff about ACNE.
Well, to say the truth, I don't have too much of an acne/pimple problem and I feel extremely blessed! However, I do get the odd pimple here and there and do try to combat my farm of black and white heads (ewww!) So when I attended the lecture, I was really eager to learn some tips and tricks and to share some info with you guys.
So...what is Acne?
I always separated the term acne and pimples/blackheads and sorts, and I was surprised to know that acne is the term for all of them!
Acne vulgaris, aka acne, occurs when the oil in your skin (produced to keep your hair healthy and protected) together with dead skin cells, clogs your pores. This clogging can cause blackheads, whiteheads and pimples/zits!
There is a certain bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, that feeds on the oils on our skin (yucks) and produces some by-products that are super irritating to our skin. This is when it gets inflamed, red and develops into pimples, with visible pus or without.
So basically, the oilier your skin, the greater the likelihood of getting acne (girls, think when you get your period). Of course, it gets worse when you don't exfoliate or cleanse your skin regularly to get rid of the dead skin cells and bacteria. So it is very important to cleanse and exfoliate regularly to prevent or improve acne.
I do suffer a fair amount of blackheads mostly on my nose and chin and try to combat them by manually getting rid of them (aka squeezing). I have tried those nose pore strips but I'm no fan of those cos they hurt like hell and does nothing for removing the blackheads. booyah.
Anyway, to better explain acne, I invited Dr. Neal Schultz to have a little chat with us!
What I took home after class!
This nasty P. acnes bacteria can be killed by benzoyl peroxide, tetracycline group and other antibiotics and antibacterial components. Products with a suitable percentage of benzoyl peroxide will help kill the bacteria responsible for inflamed spots.
Blackheads and whiteheads can be cleared by using products with Salicylic Acid (AHA), Glycolic Acid (BHA) or both to have the best effect. These are chemical exfoliants effective in clearing the skin of dead skin cells and oil. Scrubs with tiny beads small enough to clean your pores can also have a good effect to remove dead skin.
To be honest, I have used a tube of cleanser with both AHA and BHA and felt that it did not do anything great for my skin. I'm not sure if I'm an anomaly or did not have a serious enough problem to see a difference, or I just wasn't paying attention to the differences! But I am much more concerned with the ingredients of products before getting them now, that's for sure.
Treatment and Prevention
As we now know that oil, bacteria and clogged pores causes acne, we can combat these problems with the right tools and products.
First, remember to exfoliate to remove excess dead skin cells. This will lower the chances of having a clogged pore. Same goes for the oil. The P. acnes bacteria lives off the oil on your face and by minimizing the oil, the bacteria cannot cause all the trouble! Also, don't touch your face with dirty hands!
Picking your zits incorrectly can bring you more pimples as you not only can push the bacteria deeper into the skin, but spread it elsewhere too! I remember back in the days when I used to pick at my pimples and more just popped out the next few days. I was left with scabs on my forehead and extra pimples (boo..). Fortunately, I have grown out of that bad habit.
Debunking myths
Acne cannot be cured!
Acne can definitely be cured. Topical treatments include topical antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide and exfoliants can help kill bacteria and dissolve the oil away from the skin. For a more severe case, oral antibiotics and Accutane can help drastically. Accutane stops your skin from producing oil, and if there is no oil, there is no acne!
You should not use makeup to cover acne.
You definitely can cover acne with makeup, but more importantly with the appropriate kind. Take note of the terms 'oil-free', 'water-based' and 'non-comedogenic' (does not clog your pores).
You shouldn't squeeze your pimples because it will cause scarring.
Not quite right. You really have to injure quite deep into the skin to cause scarring. The darkness and marks that we see after picking at our spots are more like discoloration and pigmentation than scarring. It will go away, but it takes quite some time and maybe products to make it go away quicker.
Eating chocolate will make you break out!
There is no scientific evidence that show that certain kinds of food can cause people to break out. It actually varies from person to person. Chocolate may be tested to make a person break out but scientific experiments have found no significance in it across the board.
However, consistent eating of food containing high amounts of iodine causes acne. Shellfish contains iodine but non-regular eating of it won't cause anything.
The best time to wash your face after sports.
Actually, it is best to wash your face before doing sports. This is because you most likely will use your hands to wipe the grime and sweat away and this action pushes the bacteria and dirt into your skin causing you to breakout.
That's all I have for you guys!
Next lesson will be on Suntanning and SPF~
Lesson 1: Anti-ageing – Facts vs. Myths
Cheers,
HL
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