Acne is a skin condition that causes blackheads, whiteheads, zits, pimples and cysts. Blackheads are a type of comedone. Comedones occur when the opening of a hair follicle is clogged by dead skin cells, oils and sometimes bacteria. If the comedone is open at the surface, it is a blackhead, according to MayoClinic.com. Treatments, which take four to eight weeks, work by speeding cell turnover, fighting bacteria, and reducing oil and inflammation.
Step 1
Wash your face with an antibacterial soap twice a day; however, if you have extremely oily skin, it's fine to wash more often, notes the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Don't scrub too hard, as vigorous scrubbing can worsen acne.
Step 2
Apply a topical acne treatment. Over-the-counter treatments containing resorcinol, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, lactic acid and salicylic acid, which are available as lotions, spot treatments and washes. These products may dry the skin and cause flaking, but unless this is extremely troubling, treatments should be continued.
Step 3
Allow blemishes to heal without picking at them or popping them. This ruptures the top layer of the blemish and may cause an infection or scarring.
Step 4
Keep bacteria and dirt off blemishes by keeping inanimate objects and your hands off them. If you must touch blemishes, wash your hands and sanitize whatever object will be touching the skin.
Step 5
Put on only non-acnegenic or non-comedogenic cosmetics and skin care products. Then your pores won't get clogged with the products.
Step 6
Shampoo your hair daily or as often as possible. Oils from your hair can transfer to your skin and worsen acne.
Step 7
Wear loose clothing if your acne touches it. Tight clothing rubs against the blemish and can irritate it. Also, sweat contains bacteria, so clothing that keeps sweat against the skin should be avoided as bacteria can worsen acne.
Tips and Warnings
- If you don't want to use OTC medications, an alternative treatment noted by MayoClinic.com is 5 percent tea tree oil. This treatment, however, may take longer to work than OTC acne medications.
- For severe cases of acne, prescription treatment may be necessary. These treatments include topical and oral medications, such as isotretinoin, birth control pills, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications.
Things You'll Need
- Antibacterial soap
- Topical acne treatment
- Non-acnegenic and non-comedogenic products
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