How You Can Treat Acne

You need to know how to treat acne if you are within the ages of 9 and 99 and your face has decided to bloom with a fresh outbreak of acne.  What can you do to alleviate this issue?  Is all acne treatable the same way?  What causes acne?  Does the amount of time you spend washing your face affect the severity of your acne?  How about the food you eat?

Acne is generally caused by hormonal changes.  These changes can cause a build-up of oil, extra skin cells being shed, and even an increase in bacteria.  Any combination of these factors will result in acne.  How severe a case you get varies from person to person and is based on the underlying factors for the outbreak.

Some people believe that if you have acne, then you must not be washing your face regularly.  This is just not a true thought.  Washing your face can help reduce the amount of extra oil that remains on your skin.  The oil producing glands are locating under the skin; however, so washing your face will not keep you from getting acne, but it may be able to help with the severity.   Be careful not to use an alcohol based cleanser and not to scrub too vigorously as these things can irritate the skin and actually worsen the condition.  A mild soap and water is the best thing to use to wash your face.

Are you actively consuming "kid" foods or are you eating a balanced diet?  Do you think that what you eat affects your acne?  There are not any scientific studies that have proven that your diet has any affect on your acne.  This could be considered good news if you do not eat properly, but a healthy diet does improve the overall appearance of your skin.  So, while your diet does not directly affect your acne, it does affect your appearance.

Mild acne can be treated by washing with mild soap and water and a topical cream such as benzoyl peroxide, but moderate or moderately severe acne should seek the assistance of a dermatologist.  Because a dermatologist has training in skin conditions, he/she would be able to determine the best course of action to treat acne as every case is different.  Whatever regimen you decide on, the treatment will take from four to eight weeks to be effective.  Be patient and whatever you do, do not pick or pop your pimples.  This will lead to scarring which is even less attractive than the acne.

Acne is a very common problem that ranges from very mild to very severe.  No matter the severity of the problem, acne results in everything from a diminished self esteem to an enhance degree of self consciousness.  If your acne is mild, then try the over the counter topical creams containing benzoyl peroxide, but if your acne is moderate to severe, please seek the advice of a dermatologist.  Remember that it takes at least 4 to 8 weeks to treat acne.