Mistake No. 1: Not trying an acne treatment long enough
Skin reacts slowly to treatment. Even if the acne came on fast, it still requires time to heal. That usually takes between two to six weeks. I always advises patients to give a product one month and keep using it if they notice any improvement.
Mistake No. 2: Trying too many products at once
People usually layer on products when they don't get results in the first few days of treatment.
What usually happens is that patient start trying different products, abandoning them very quickly if they do not see results in a day or two. They also add one product to another. Sometimes the products can cause irritation of the skin and add further insult to the owner.
When someone self treats their acne, they may accidentally traumatize their skin. This can make the acne lesions bigger, more likely to pigment, and heal with spots and scars.
Mistake No. 3: Overscrubbing or overcleansing the skin
Scrubbing the skin will actually worsen acne, as it can compromise the skin's protective barrier and can increase irritation.
Instead, gently wash with a nonirritating, pH-balanced cleanser to decrease inflammation. It's also important to thoroughly rinse off the cleanser because the residue can be irritating.
Acne is not from dirt. Many patient tend to overwash and overscrub when they get acne. Remember 'If acne were from dirt, you would have it on your feet!’
Mistake No. 4: Choosing the wrong products for acne-prone skin
Harsh cleansers, alkaline bar soaps, and alcohol-based products may worsen acne.
Patients should look for “noncomedogenic” or “for acne-prone skin” products. Noncomedogenic products do not contain ingredients that tend to clog pores in people with acne-prone skin.
Certain ingredients found in products such as cosmetics, sunscreen, and moisturizers are more likely to clog pores. They include isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate, butyl stearate, isopropyl isostearate, decyl oleate, isostearyl neopentanoate, isocetyl stearate, myristle myristate, cocoa butter and acetylated lanolin. Products containing oil can clog pores and lead to breakouts.
Mistake No. 5: Popping and picking at pimples
Popping and picking pimples prolongs healing time and increases the risk of scarring. Infected material can get pushed further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness.
Patients tend to groom the lesions. They examine them very closely several times a day and start imagining that there is something they can stick in the lesion or extract from the lesion. So they pick and the lesion gets worse.
Mistake No. 6: Waiting too long to see a doctor
It's time to make an appointment once acne starts taking a toll on self-esteem, becomes painful, causes excessive scarring, or if over-the-counter (OTC) medications aren't clearing it up.
Doctor can give prescription medicines that are tailored to the type of acne a person has and also their skin type.It's also possible a patient could have rosacea, which usually requires different treatment than acne. Rosacea is a long-term disease that causes redness and pimples.
Mistake No. 7: Overusing or under using a prescribed acne medication
Patients should use the medication as instructed. Overusage will not help clear the acne, but can cause additional redness and dryness. Not sticking to a regimen delays any potential improvements.
Half of the battle is consistency. Many people under use because they lose motivation after the first two weeks. They can't expect results overnight. Underusing the medication by spot-treating fails to prevent breakouts.
Patient need to apply medication to the entire affected area that tends to break out, instead of spot treating. With spot treating, patients haven't addressed the area next to it, where another pimple could be brewing.
Mistake No. 8: Stopping the use of acne medication once it clears up
It is best to taper medication usage by using it less and less. For example, if patient have been using it twice a day, use it once a day for awhile, then once every other day, then twice a week, and then stop. It often takes acne four to six weeks to return, just like it took it the same amount of time for it to get better.
To keep skin blemish-free, most people need to continue usage with at least one acne product. It's possible to cut down to a few times a week if someone is using an OTC medication.
it was taken from a doctor's notes, Drzubaidi HjAhmad
credits to him for this useful note :)
andd please do visit his blog for any other useful info :D
Loves,dila♥
