There are many medications and treatments for acne which, to some extent, can be confusing and overwhelming. In this situation, it is easy to make mistakes. You may choose the wrong way to treat your acne problem and make it even worse.
These are some common mistakes people make while treating acne:
- Using many products at once.
People usually become impatient when they don’t get immediate results in the first few days of treatment. Then they start trying different products and abandon them again after two or three days if they do not see the expected results. They may also add one product to another.
What they don’t realize is that they may accidentally traumatize their skin by self treating their acne. This can make the acne lesions bigger, more likely to pigment, and heal with spots and scars.
- Stopping the acne treatment too soon.
Acne needs time to heal because skin reacts slowly to treatment. It may take between two to six weeks. In some cases, minor irritation may occur in the first couple of weeks of treatment. It is an inflammation, not an infection. It can even get worse before it gets better.
- Scrubbing the skin too much.
Acne is not from dirt, so it cannot be treated merely by scrubbing it. Even scrubbing the skin too much or too hard can make the acne worse. It can compromise the skin’s protective barrier and can increase irritation.
To decrease the inflammation, it is better to gently wash the skin with a nonirritating, pH-balanced cleanser. Do not forget to thoroughly rinse off the cleanser because the residue can be irritating.
- Using a prescribed acne medication inappropriately.
Some patients may not use the medication as instructed. The most important thing in treating acne is consistency and people often fail in this stage. Some people tend to underuse the medication because they lose motivation after the first week. They also may overuse it because they want to see the result as soon as possible.
Underusing the acne medication can delay any potential improvements. Instead of spot treating, the medication should be applied to the entire affected area that tends to break out. Spot treating do not cover the area next to it, where another pimple could occur. In the other hand, using the medication too much can make the case worse. Overusing the medication can cause additional redness and dryness.
- Popping and Picking pimples.
A hands-off policy is important to avoid further acne problems. Popping or picking at your pimples can prolong healing time and increase the risk of scarring. When you squeeze a pimple, you may inadvertently force the debris from the pore deeper into the follicle. Infected material can get pushed further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness. Squeezing a pimple can lead to a nodule (hard, red, painful blemish deep within the skin) or a cyst.
- Using the wrong products for acne-prone skin.
Some skin care products contain ingredients that tend to clog pores in people with acne-prone skin. Certain ingredients found in products such as cosmetics, sunscreen, and moisturizers are more likely to clog pores. They include isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate, butyl stearate, isopropyl isostearate, decyl oleate, isostearyl neopentanoate, isocetyl stearate, myristle myristate, cocoa butter, acetylated lanolin, and D & C red dyes.
People with acne-prone skin should avoid products containing oil because they can clog pores and lead to breakouts. Experts also suggest that harsh cleansers, alkaline bar soaps, and alcohol-based products may worsen acne.
- Waiting too long to see a dermatologist
People sometimes overlook acne and try to self treat it. They usually go to a doctor when the case are getting worse, causing more pain, excessive scarring or if over-the-counter (OTC) medications aren’t clearing it up.
People are not aware that some acne problems might be more serious than it seems and immediate treatments can prevent further problems. Patients with rosacea (a long-term disease that causes redness and pimples) usually requires different treatment than acne.
It is better to see dermatologists as soon as possible because they have more knowledge and tools to treat acne. They can give prescription medicines that are tailored to the type of acne a person has and also their skin type.
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