Other factors linked to acne include a family history and the use of certain medications (steroids, for example) and cosmetics.
..... Factors that worsen acne include friction or pressure on the skin, squeezing pimples, high humidity, even normal hormonal changes with menstruation.
..... Something that doesn’t make acne worse, though, is dirt (your mom was wrong, for once), so washing your skin often rarely has a beneficial effect, and may even have a bad one if you rub too hard.
..... As for the effect of diet, when I was a kid (in the Pleistocene era), we were told to avoid chocolate, greasy foods, and Cokes, in short, everything we enjoyed, so naturally we didn’t pay attention to that advice, all except Allan, that is, but it never seemed to help him. Then, a few years ago, dermatologists started saying that a kid could eat anything he wanted without fear it would produce pimples. Recently, however, dermatologists took a step back and now advise that if kids notice a specific food worsens their acne, to avoid that food, which is really only common sense, but hey, that’s something often lacking in the medical business.
..... So what do you do if you have acne?
It all starts, of course, with proper skin maintenance, which involves such common sense strategies as not washing or rubbing too hard, careful shaving, judicious use of cosmetics, and so on.
..... More active treatment of mild acne can involve a myriad of over-the-counter preparations (creams, soaps, gels, lotions) such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, resorcinol, and sulfur. Since everyone’s skin varies in response to such products, it’s always worth experimenting (for a few weeks) to find which ones work best for you. Also, bear in mind that every preparation can irritate the skin, so if a choice you’ve made seems too harsh, it’s best not to push it for long. As with everything available over-the-counter, asking your pharmacist for advice is always a good idea.
..... For more severe acne, you can select among several oral antibiotic choices, and many topical preparations (antibiotics, vitamin A, benzoyl peroxide, and others), all of which have specific uses (creams, for example moisturize the skin, gels often dry it out), and side effects, so inform yourself thoroughly about these options, again by consulting your doctor and pharmacist.
For very severe acne, the most effective choice is |
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