Alongside good quality home care and preventative measures there are many things you can do at home to really help fight your breakouts and acne problems
One of my favourite case studies to date is that of the young lady pictured here.
She came to me to look for an acne solution as felt she had tried almost everything with little or no success.
When you walk into a shop or head online you may well have been overwhelmed with the options offered to you- what makes any product stand out to some is marketing and I am here to demystify and offer an evidence based solution as oppose to one that claims to offer the earth and deliver quite frankly nothing, often making the whole situation worse!
We will start with the most obvious, but hardest to comply with, if you are a picker, read on!
• Basically, Do NOT pick- Picking will only make your problem worse and the risk of Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) and or Post Inflammatory Erythema (PIE) and cross infection is very real.
PIH is when there has been inflammation around your melanin (colour producing cells)
Occasionally we may see Post inflammatory Erythema (redness) you can see this in the picture above and these can be just as cosmetically concerning as the spots themselves.
With PIH, there is an increase in the amount of melanin created as a form of protection from this consistent trauma created by these spots and a build up of purple/red/brown scarring can begin to accumulate.
• Wash hair frequently – This may seem less obvious, but some shampoos and ingredients can actually effect the skins sensitive lipid barrier too. I would advise paraben free shampoos and ensuring the reason for break outs in this area isn’t down to something like
Pityrosporum folliculitis (fungal) which will require alternative treatment.
Acne and Pityrosporum folliculitis
can occur together, given that acne patients often have increased sebum production and follicular hyperkeratinisation resulting in a blockage of the pores.
We have paraben free options within our clinic and can help with shampoo choices.
• 60 degree towel wash /pillow case washing– This will help with the reduction and or elimination of bacteria breaching the broken down, lipid barrier and re infecting the area that is still repairing itself.
Try to have your own towels, purchase a few face cloths and ensure they are yours only.
We have some great options in our online shop which are environmentally friendly.
Replace after every wash, and make sure your hands are clean before you wash your face.
Face wipes and make up wipes are a NO GO zone!
Silk pillowcases are also great to help the skin recover and repair.
• Good skin regimen and SPF daily – Prevention of skin damage will mean we have the optimum mechanical defence to these breakouts
That age old saying of prevention being better than cure is so true!
• Choose mineral make up if any (clean brushes DAILY)
We again have some great skin and dermal corrective options in our shop.
Often I hear acne sufferers hating the feel of products on their skin and more often than not they exfoliate the living daylights out of what little protective barrier is left!
Think about a ‘tinted’ SPF that is mineral based and much more beneficial for the skin instead, apply with clean hands after cleansing and skin regimen is followed.
For gents take a look at our non tinted dermal fixing formula.
This is essential DAILY even if you are staying indoors as central heating can have detrimental affects on the skins lipid barrier too! Albeit we think twice before touching the thermostat these days!
• Do not over exfoliate- Encourage good skin care habits with a tailored skin plan, over scrubbing and astringent skin care is one of the most common reasons I see skin deteriorate and this as always is more often than not, PREVENTABLE
A gentle cleansing solution is required until we have re adjusted the PH and got the lipid barrier function on the mend.
• Disinfect your Mobile Phone regularly -Totally underestimated!
Imagine this phone we carry around everywhere and the bacteria that may be present.
We then pop this to our ear, right next to susceptible broken skin.
The products we choose and your compliance are essential to gain the best results with any skin concern.
The skin cells turn themselves over every 28 days so that said any new regimen should be given time to adapt.
My go to treatment for acne concerns is home care followed by a course of Bio RePeel chemical peels. This innovative peel formula is incredible and one we proudly host in the clinic as Annette is one of the founding trainers in the UK of this peel.
We also recommend a holistic approach as various systemic conditions may effect the skins ability to heal and ward off bacteria- so an in-depth medical history will be ascertained for optimum results.
Thank you for reading and I hope this has helped a little in your search for an acne skin solution right here in Derbyshire.
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