Acne Health Video

Help your acne by using less oily, creamy face and hair products. Learn about acne from a doctor in this video on skin care.

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Use less creamy hair products
Watch your dairy intake
Use a topical cream containing 2% salicylic acid

About this Author

Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, the author of the book Six Weeks to Sensational Skin, is a board certified dermatologist who has made numerous appearances on television shows such as Good Morning America. She holds a degree from Hunter College in New York, an M.D. from Downstate University at SUNY, and did her residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Ciraldo has been a board-certified dermatologist since 1982, and is currently a voluntary professor at the University of Miami, where she runs a clinic in cosmetic dermatology.

LORETA CIRALDO, MD, FAAD: Hi, I am Dr. Loreta Ciraldo, a voluntary professor of Dermatology at the University of Miami, a practicing dermatologist for nearly 30 years, and the author of Six Weeks to Sensational Skin. Now, as far as acne is concerned, I really want you to remember the three Ds of acne. The first is all about distribution. It is totally normal to have intrinsic acne that affects our T zone because this is where our sebaceous glands, which are the root of acne, are the largest, but many of us have acne that is distributed more around the rim of our face and if your acne is in that distribution, then please consider what might be causing the acne, which very often is hair products. A very helpful hint is if you will consider switching to hair products that are more see-through or clear, and if you will use creamy hair products, if you must, a little less often, so that if you have as I do, thick and almost frizzy hair, then do not use a creamy conditioner more than once a week. So, distribution is very important, and around the periphery, think about modifying hair products. Secondly is diet, and a recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that people who eat a lot of dairy products are much more prone to have inflammatory acne and more acne lesions than people will have a very low dairy diet. We think that some of these may reflect back to some hormones in the dairy products, but it is very important to try to limit dairy. The last thing is please do not pick. Picking can prolong the lesion. Now, as far as how to clear your acne, think about getting a 2% salicylic cleanser and a product with retinol and you may just find, about in a week's time, your acne is a whole lot better. Good luck!

Acne Health Video

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