Lifestyle Choices

There is, as yet, no cure for acne but it can be controlled by various means, and it is vital to inhibit the development of inflamed spots that can lead to scarring and permanent reminders of the problem. If you are a teenager or adult with a susceptibility to skin eruptions, work along these lines:

Be scrupulously clean but do not keep dabbing at your face. Two thorough cleanses a day — morning and evening — are fine. Wash and rinse your hands before you touch your face and rinse off every trace of the cleansing product with plenty of clean, warm water. Shampoo hair frequently and keep it well away from your face.

Keep additional oil to a minimum. Avoid any oil in hair products. If you need or want to use moisturiser, go for one that is suitable for your particular skin type or use a gel rather than a cream or lotion. Choose an oil-free, water-based foundation and loose powder — pressed powder can contain oil. Remove make-up when you are spending time at home alone — unless it depresses you to see your skin uncovered!

Treat blackheads and whiteheads with an exfoliating scrub a couple of times a week using a clean, dry flannel, a complexion brush, exfoliating puff or gentle scrubbing grains. However, if your face has inflamed blemishes or is very oily, this may be too harsh and stimulating.

Steam clean and use a toning mask on your face once a week unless you are having medical treatment for your blemishes. In that case, ask your doctor if it is a wise move for you or not.

Hands off! Unprofessional picking, squeezing and prodding at blemishes will only make them worse. You risk spreading bacteria and leaving behind some of the debris so the area will flare up again. Squeezing could also forcibly burst the follicle wall and possibly cause even worse problems.

Stop habit handling such as rubbing your chin or leaning your cheek on one hand.

Eat well and eat early. While good dietary habits do not prevent or cure acne, bad ones can increase your stress potential and aggravate the problem. Try to have a good breakfast and a good lunch and your last meal of the day by six o’clock if possible. Never eat snacks in the late evening or just before bedtime. If you suspect an allergy to any foods, try to avoid them.

Try a zinc supplement of up to too mg a day. It will certainly do you no harm and it seems to reduce the inflammation in some cases.

Cut out artificial stimulants including cigarettes, coffee and caffeinated drinks if you seriously want to get to grips with skin blemishes. Keep alcohol consumption low too.

Avoid prolonged stress as much as possible. It stimulates hormone production. Get plenty of exercise, sleep, relaxation, fresh food, fresh air and fun.

Enjoy your holidays. Sunshine, fresh air, exercise and fun help people to relax, which may improve acne-prone skins. A mild tan will camouflage superficial scars as well. However, you may be unlucky. Dermatologists reckon about a quarter of acne cases are aggravated by sunlight, and that it increases in humid conditions.

Find a sympathetic doctor/dermatologist if your spots are more than very occasional little outbursts. Current treatment may include one or more of the following:

The oestrogen content in certain birth control pills helps to control sebum output and can be a help to female sufferers. It is not for men, though, as they will develop breasts and experience voice and beard changes.

Benzoyl peroxide in water-based gels acts by peeling surface skin, prevents blocked follicles, suppresses irritating fatty acids in sebum, and fights bacteria.

Retinoic acid (vitamin A acid) is a great peeler, and can be useful in some cases where there are many closed comedones. Low-dose antibiotics taken orally over a period of time are often successful at suppressing acne. Externally applied antibiotics may be prescribed.

Roaccutane, a related but slightly different chemical compound to retinoic acid, has a high success rate. But as it is extremely expensive and has quite severe side effects at times (including the possibility of birth defects if a woman becomes pregnant while taking it), its use is limited to very severe acne cases.

Getting rid of aftereffects

If the skin is scarred, chemical peeling or dermabrasion may be used to minimise or remove scarring on cured cases of acne. Pits and valleys can sometimes be filled in with liquid collagen. If at all possible, it is better to get medical advice and treatment early as this may help you to avoid scarring.

In rare cases acne continues through to middle age or beyond, but some people develop acne for the first time in their twenties, thirties or forties. This often follows a severe shock or a period of intense stress and strain. Pregnant women can sometimes develop acne in the early months, but this usually subsides later.

Adult acne

Pre-period outbreaks are very common and probably due to high progesterone levels at that time. If you have a tendency to retain water, come out in spots or generally feel bloated and unattractive during the run-up to menstruation, try eating potassium-rich foods such as bananas, tomatoes, avocados and fresh or dried apricots for at least a week before. At the very least, this regimen tends to curb any craving for the “quick lift” that comes from sugary snacks and chocolate.

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