Zits. Pimples. Blemishes. Acne vulgaris. By any name, those inflamed red bumps are the bane of clear skin. According to Dr. Kevin Berman at the Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, acne occurs when your pores become clogged. This can be caused by hormonal changes, by not washing your skin often enough or by taking certain medications. Drying up acne requires a daily routine of treatment and prevention. You should start with mild, over-the-counter products. If you see no difference in eight to 10 weeks, consult a physician.
Step 1
Secure your hair away from your face with a hair band or clips. Wash your hands thoroughly.
Step 2
Wet your face and massage a dime-size dollop of medicated cleanser into your skin. Do not get it into your eyes.
Step 3
Let the medicated cleanser sit on your face for five to 10 seconds, then rinse it off thoroughly with warm water.
Step 4
Blot your face dry with a clean, white towel. Some people have mild allergies to the dyes in colored cloth, which can irritate blemishes. Also, many acne medications will bleach the color out of towels.
Step 5
Apply a continuous-action medicated moisturizer to your skin if it is normally dry. Acne is usually associated with oily skin, but it can occur on dry skin, too.
Step 6
Apply a dot of acne spot treatment to each visible pimple. These products usually contain benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid or sulfur, and their purpose is to kill bacteria and dry up the blemish. They can sting and cause mild redness and peeling, so use them only on the blemishes.
Step 7
Wash and treat your face again at night before bed and after exercising or doing anything that makes you sweat or gets you dirty. Don't wash your face more than three times a day, however, or you risk skin irritation.
Tips and Warnings
- Sleep on a clean, white pillowcase, because many acne medications will bleach the color out of cloth.
- Never pick at or pop your blemishes.
Things You'll Need
- Hair band or clips
- Medicated cleanser
- Warm water
- Clean, white towel
- Continuous-action moisturizer (optional)
- Acne spot treatment
- Hair elastics
- White cotton pillowcase (optional)
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