Mar 09, 2020 Dr. Preeti Talwar Skincare, Acne
Acne has been a problem for a lot of people all around the world. And as they say, prevention is better than cure. Acne is a common skin disorder that can result in several types of blemishes and inflammation that include pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads.
The factors that contribute the most to the development of acne are clogged pores owing to excess oil and dead skin cell build-up. The presence of bacteria in the pores causes inflammation, which leads to the formation of pustules.
Let’s start with different kinds of acne. There are a few types of acne, such as hormonal, stress-related, and then there are few caused due to the type of skin or lack of skincare.
Here are a few tips on how to prevent your skin from breaking out-
1. Makeup brushes and tools are a breeding ground for bacteria, especially the ones used to apply a water-based concealer or oil-based foundation. It is mandatory to wash makeup brushes and tools with hot soapy water to clean out all the dirt effectively.
2. Wash pillowcases once every week. There are so many bacteria sitting on your pillow, especially the ones transferred from the hair and scalp.
3. When you go to bed, try and keep your hair out of your face, especially in summer, when it’s quite hot. Putting your hair into a braid would be a good choice. It helps prevent bacteria or any oil build-up around the face, neck, and back.
4. When your skin is breaking out, and it gets red, the best thing to do is to do nothing. Before you go to bed at nighttime, make sure your face is clean and go straight to bed. In the morning, it should be able to recover because your skin’s natural antibiotic system helps to fight bacteria at night. By leaving nothing on your face at night, it lets your skin breathe and fight off the bacteria.
5. Diet is one of the important factors that can affect your skin. Consuming too much junk food, and even chocolate can increase oil production leading to breakouts. A healthy diet can change your skin in a week. Eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and having 2000 liters of water in a day to stay hydrated will have your skin glowing and radiant, naturally.
6. Cleanse twice daily. Washing your face every morning and night will help keep your skin pores clean from bacteria accumulation, excess oil, and dirt. Avoid harsh scrubbing, rubbing or tugging as it can tear or irritate the skin.
7. Keep hormonal acne under control by exercising regularly. It’ll help the body produce more endorphins, the happy hormone. It will also help in preventing your body from generating excess hormones by balancing it out.
8. Drinking a lot of water is imperative to maintain clear skin. It helps in flushing out toxins, keeping the skin, hair, and nails healthy. As water provides 80 percent of everything in our body, it is vital to stay hydrated.
9. Getting proper sleep for at least 8 hours will help you remain calm. Monitoring sleep regulation patterns will ensure stable hormonal activity, cause less stress, and prevent the skin from breaking out.
10. Stress is probably one of the key triggers for all problems. It makes the body produce excess hormones, which eventually leads to acne breakouts. De-stressing activities like listening to music, shopping, outdoor/indoor games, and sleep regulation will help to a great extent. Many use make-up to hide pimples and blemishes as they find it de-stressing, which is completely fine. Using the right quality and quantity of makeup is still important.
11. Avoid harsh scrubbing or using facial exfoliators on the face. It can cause inflammation and irritate the skin, making the acne worse. It is always safe to massage a cleanser containing soft exfoliation beads using clean fingertips. After rinsing, dab the face gently with a clean face towel.
12. Limit exposure to the sun. Using sunscreen when going outdoors is heavily advised by dermatologists. Too much sun has many damaging effects on the skin. Sunburns cause overproduction of oils, which could make the acne worse. Using an oil-free sunscreen having 30 SPF will help in preventing sunburns, acne, and hyperpigmentation.
These are some of the tips that can be applied to prevent the skin from breaking out. Consulting a dermatologist to understand the skin type and root causes of infection or aggravation will help in treating the skin condition effectively.