THE BASIC HOME TREATMENT FOR ACNE

The four basic home treatment and prescription therapy ofacne, including :

1. LifestyleModeration and regularity are good things, but not everyone can sleep eighthours, eat three good meals, and drink eight glasses of water a day. You can,however, still control your acne even if your routine is frantic andunpredictable. Probably the most useful lifestyle change you can make is toapply hot compresses to pustules and cysts, to get facials, and never to pickor squeeze pimples. Playing with pimples, no matter how careful and clean youare, nearly always makes bumps stay redder and bumpier longer. People oftenrefer to redness as scarring, but fortunately it usually isn't, in thepermanent sense. It's just a mark that takes months to fade if left entirelyalone.

2. Open the pores
Cleansing and skin care :

• Mild cleansers
• Washing once or twice a day with a mild cleansing bar orliquid ( for example, Dove, Neutrogena, Basis, Purpose, and Cetaphil are allinexpensive and popular ) will keep the skin clean and minimize sensitivity andirritation.

Exfoliating cleansers and masques

A variety of mild scrubs, exfoliants, and masques can beused. These products contain either fine granules or salicylic acid in aconcentration that makes it a very mild peeling agent. These products removethe outer layer of the skin, and thus open pores.

Retinol

Not to be confused with the prescription medication,Retin-A, this derivative of vitamin A can help promote skin peeling.

3. Kill the bacteria

Antibacterial cleansers

The most popular ingredient in over-the-counterantibacterial cleansers is benzoyl peroxide.

Topical ( external ) applications

These products come in the form of gels, creams, andlotions, which are applied to the affected area. The active ingredients thatkill surface bacteria include benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, and resorcinol. Benzoylperoxide causes red and scaly allergic skin in a small number of people, whichgoes away as soon as you stop using the product. Keep in mind that benzoylperoxide is a bleach, so do not let products containing benzoyl peroxide get onyour good colored clothes, shirts, or towels.

4. Reduce the oilYou cannot stop your oil glands from producing oil ( unless you mess with yourhormones or metabolism in ways you shouldn't ). Even isotretinoin only slowsdown oil.

Way of reducing shine of oil on the surface of the skin :

• Use a gentle astringent/toner to wipe away oil.
• Products containing glycolic acid or one of the otheralpha-hydroxy acids are also mildly helpful in clearing the skin by causing thesuperficial layer of the skin to peel ( exfoliate ).
• Masques containing sulfur and other ingredients draw outfacial oil.Antibacterial pads containing benzoyl peroxide have the additionalbenefit of helping you wipe away oil.

Posted in: acne,health