Nothing is scarier than waking up on a beautiful morning and finding a pimple staring at you in the eyes as you look at your face in the mirror. It can get even more frustrating when one pops and heals, then all of sudden, a dozen more pop up the next morning.
As annoying as this is, it can still take forever before the pimple disappears especially when you don't know how to handle it. Even though many people lack the knowledge to treat pimples,, it is indeed the most common skin disease in the United States.
Next time you wake to see a pimple sitting conveniently on the tip of your nose, you can always run back to this article because we've got all the best answers for you.
How does a pimple form?
Acne shows up on the surface of the skin at any part, but most often, it is seen on the shoulder, chest, neck, and back. This is so because these skin areas have more oil glands than anywhere on the body. The oil gland, also known as sebum, helps to lubricate the skin.
Pimples are formed when hair follicles get blocked, and oils build up under the skin, resulting in acne. Follicle blockages are caused by the activity of bacteria that lives under the skin, (P. acnes) on the skin cell and sebum.
The start of puberty can also trigger acne. This is because at this stage, the sex is at its peak, causing the release of oil.
HOW TO GET RID OF ACNE
The following procedures are cost-effective and efficient means of getting rid of your acne. These procedures work wonders, as it can get rid of your acne overnight!
I'm not going to bore you a lot of chemistry, but aspirin contains salicylic acid, which is a top-cop acne fighter. Just as aspirin calms a headache, so also it calms an angry pimple.
If acne shows up a night to your prom or a special occasion, you don't have to be bothered. Applying a paste made from aspirin or wearing an aspirin mask will quickly remove dead skin and excess oil. This means aspirin will unclog and dry off your angry-looking pores, and it will also reduce the swelling and redness and even reduces the pain at the point of its use.
How to prepare and use an aspirin mask
Step 1: Crush aspirin into a spoon and make a paste adding drops of water. The aspirin to water must be at 1:3.
Step 2: You can add honey or yogurt. It is optional.
Step 3: When the mixture thickens, use a cotton bud to swab the mixture and apply on the affected areas
Step 4: The mixture will harden and chip off in about 30 minutes to an hour
Step 5: Clean the spot with a wet tissue or a damp towel
It is a general belief that acne is caused mostly by a dirty face or a dirty body as a whole. On the contrary, it isn't, but that doesn't rule out the importance of washing your body regularly to remove excess dirt from the skin.
To get the best result from regular washing, it is recommended that you wash when:
- You wake up
- You are sweaty-- either from the sun or after an exercise or a stressful activity
- You are going to bed at night
Note that too much washing of your skin can make your skin dry which can increase the risk of worsening your acne.
Washing your skin regularly doesn't imply that you need to turn to an hourly routine to scrub your skin, all in the name of removing every possible speck of dirt and oil.
Some people go to the extent of harshly scrubbing their skin either by applying too much pressure on the skin or using a rough cloth pad. This will irritate your acne-prone skin and even make the acne worse.
Gently take your time to wash the skin and gently towel it after wash. Avoid using a rough cloth to towel or scrub your skin.
It is not uncommon for one tothink that changing your face cleanser after an acne flare is the right thing to do, nor is it absurd for one to consider a stronger cleanser for thier acne. What you need is something gentle so that other topical procedures can enter your skin.
If your skin is the oily type, choose a cleanser with salicylic acid or glycolic acid. If you have sensitive skin, choose a gentle cleanser with lactic acid or a hydrating ingredient like glycerin.
Exfoliation is a process used to remove dead cells from your skin. Doing this is not a bad idea; in fact, it helps to improve your acne. But when this becomes a habit, it does more harm than good.
You can exfoliate 2-3 times a week, at most. Excessive exfoliation can cause redness in the skin, inflammation, and irritation. These have the potential to worsen your breakout. When your skin is trying to compensate for the extreme dryness, the skin produces more oil, which clogs the pores and ultimately causes more pimples.
Moisturizing the skin is another method that keeps the skin hydrated to prevent it from dryness. Using a moisturizer will not worsen your acne; it will improve it.
When you use a moisturizer, it will help balance how much oil your glands produce. If your skin is dry, that sends a message to your oil glands to oversecrete oil, which can lead to acne flares.
We recommend using oil-free or hemp-seed based moisturizers, for optimal results.
Using a dirty face towel or bath towel is as good as recycling germs and dirt, which is not suitable for your acne-prone skin. A dirty towel harbors bacterias and can introduce new bacteria to your skin, which will help promote more pimples for your skin.
Changing your face towel frequently doesn't mean you should grab a new one every moment you wipe your face. You can always change your face towel at a 4 days interval, provided that you wash off your makeup.
It is recommended to completely clean your makeup off your face before you begin your workout section. This helps to reduce the risks of breakouts. You sweat through your skin’s pores, covering these pores with makeup will make sweating much difficult, thereby causing clogging of the pores.
Wearing makeup to the gym or for a workout is risky, especially if you have acne-prone skin. You won't want to wmake up to a face covered with zits.
After several minutes or hours of working out, your whole body must be sweaty. Your sweat also contains oils; the first thing to do is use an exfoliating cleanser to keep your pores clear and remove excess oils.
Go to your gym with a cleanser that contains salicylic acid to help remove any leftover dirt before bacterias start acting on it.
Taking a shower shortly after a workout is also very advisable. Besides refreshing and reducing tension in your body, it also washes away sweat, keeping you free from any bacteria. Taking a bath after a workout keeps you safe from acne flares.
It is no old wives’ tale that your diet can be the reason why your acne has refused to break up with you. The saying “what you eat is what you become” is a whole truth. What youingest in your stomach will actually, in one way or another, reflect on you.
Research shows that eating foods that cause spikes in insulin, lead to inflammation and can trigger acne flares. Another study has shown that a high glycemic diet and dairy are associated with making acneworse. The glycemic diet includes potatoes, yams, cassava, breads, certain types of rice, and otherwhite-colored foods.
Eating many of these foods can be a potential cause of pimples. Taking leafy vegetables and fruits, which are highly rich in nutrients and antioxidants, will reduce inflammation and improve skin.
Drinking barrels of water won’t magically improve your skin. However, upping your water intake will help boost skin hydration, improving or preventing acne (research proved).
Additionally, when you drinka lot of water, you aid the effects of moisturizing your skin. In no time, your skin can become acne-free.
Funny right? I know this is the last thing you are expecting to see here. As amusing as it seems, secretly, this can do more harm to your skin than you can imagine. As harmless as wearing your headphone is, it can be the culprit to your acne breakout around your temples and jawline.
During workouts or when you have your headphones on for too long, you sweat. These sweats are collected around your headphones, and the headphone compressing the skin encourages bacterias and yeasts to grow.
Cultivate the habit of using antibacterials to wipe and disinfect your headphones regularly.
There are always urges arising for you to caress your pimple or even pop them.
Remember, there is dirt under your fingernails, and most times, your hand could be unclean. Touching your acne sores will help introduce diverse bacterias to the skin, which can irritate the skin and make your pimples worse.
There are times when popping and squeezing pimples become almost irresistible, especially when it’s about to blow. If you do it the right way, popping your pimple might not have consequences . When you take matters into your own hands and pop your pimple, there are several precautions you should take:
- Make sure your hands are washed clean.
- Use a comedone extractor or cotton bud.
- Apply an antibiotic ointment after popping.
Some acne is primarily stress-induced. During stress, some hormones are released, which cause an increase in sebum production and also cause inflammation (research proved). Stress has further been seen to reduce the rate of wound healing by 40%, which can, in turn, slow down the rate at which your acne sore heals up.
Shrink up your stress by getting more sleep (take short naps), practicing yoga, exercising, meditating, and engaging in hobbies. By doing this, you are reducing your acne potential.
This is a process of bathing that exposes your body or a part of your body to steam. Doing this helps to open your pores, thereby preventing them from being clogged. It is beneficial for treating acne as it can get rid of your acne overnight.
Body steaming can reduce stress, in the same way that being in a steam room can decrease the body’s release of cortisol. It can also help lower blood circulation.
How to body steam
You can body steam by going to a steam room around you. It’s also possible to do this yourself, use the following steps;
Step 1: Boil a pot of water and pour it in a bowl.
Step 2: Add essential oils and herbs to the water.
Step 3: Wrap a towel over your head and hold your face over the bowl for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Close your eyes and take deep breaths.
Step 5: Use a mask to remove impurities from your face.
DOES TOOTHPASTES BATTLES ACNE?
Toothpaste is now among the remedies making the top list now on the internet. Does it work? How effective is it? Is it safe to use? Are there side effects?? We are going to dive into these questions.
It is indeed true, that you can use toothpaste to combat your acne.. In fact, it can rid your skin of pimples overnight because some of the ingredients found in toothpaste act as drying agents for the skin and can quickly shrink your pimples.
While using toothpaste on acne helps to dry out pimples, be careful not to overly dry the skin with toothpaste. It can cause the skin to be more acne-prone.
WRAP UP
Your skin is an important part of your charm, and we understand that having acne battered skin can ruin your ego and self-confidence. Look out for your skin; it is very important to rid your skin of acne. You can get clear acne if these routines are taken to heart.
It is essential to consult with your doctor before proceeding with this routine. If your skin has not improved in 4 to 6 weeks, see your doctor for more instructions.
REFERENCE
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263397952_The_Use_of_Cosmetics_in_Sport
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236338565_Role_of_insulin_resistance_and_diet_in_acne
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6220674_A_low-glycemic-load_diet_improves_symptoms_in_acne_vulgaris_patients_A_randomized_controlled_trial
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29392767/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9828880
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10232300