Sometimes it seems as if your skin is impossible to control, especially when you wake up and see in the mirror a huge pimple on your nose or a "fever" at the corner of your mouth. The good news is that there are ways to prevent and treat the most common skin problems; here are some tips.
A pimple begins to appear when the pores of the skin become clogged with a type of fat called sebum, which normally lubricates the skin and hair. Acne is common during puberty, when hormones get out of control, causing the skin to produce excess sebum. Since many of the sebum-producing glands are located on the forehead, nose, and chin, this area - the T-zone - is where the most pimples appear.
Here are some tips to prevent acne breakouts and to get them to go away as soon as possible:
- Wash your face twice a day (no more) with warm water and a mild soap made specifically for people with acne. Massage softly your face making circular movements. Don't rub your face. Washing too much and rubbing the skin can irritate it.
- Don't pop your pimples. It's tempting, but here are why you shouldn't do it: by popping a pimple, you can push infected material into deeper layers of the skin, causing more inflammation and redness, and even causing wounds, which can leave small scars. permanent.
- Avoid touching your face with your hands or resting it on objects that tend to accumulate sebum and skin debris, such as the telephone receiver. By touching your face, you can spread bacteria that cause your pores to become inflamed and irritated. To keep bacteria at bay, wash your hands thoroughly before applying any products to your face, such as treatment creams or makeup.
- If you wear prescription glasses and/or sunglasses, be sure to clean them often to prevent oil from clogging the pores around your eyes and nose.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels - If you have acne on another part of your body, avoid wearing tight clothing, which does not allow the skin to breathe and can cause irritation. Scarves, headbands, headbands, and hats also tend to accumulate grease and dirt.
- Remove your makeup before going to bed at night. When shopping for makeup, choose products whose label or packaging says they are "non-comedogenic" or "non-acnegenic." Throw away old makeup that smells or looks different than when you bought it.
- Keep your hair clean and avoid contact with your face so that the oil and dirt it contains does not clog your skin pores even more.
- Protect your skin from the sun. Tanning may appear to mask acne, but it's only temporary. Tanning can make acne worse, rather than better.
Sun and skin
We all know that we must protect our skin from the harmful rays of the sun. But it is impossible to avoid the sun, who wants to shut up at home when it is so comfortable outdoors? Also, not everything related to the sun is negative: sunlight helps our body to produce vitamin D. Follow the following tips when you are outside to control sun exposure:
- Put on a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, even when it's cloudy or you don't plan to spend a lot of time outdoors. If you sweat a lot or go swimming, repeat the application of the sunscreen every 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Choose a sun protection cream that retains both UVA and UVB rays. Look for expressions like "broad-spectrum protection" or "UVA protection" other than SPF 15 or higher. Choose a sunscreen that is "non-acnegenic" or "non-comedogenic" to help keep skin pores clear.
- Use more sun protection (with a higher SPF) when you are near a reflective surface, such as water, snow, or ice.
- We all know that the sun can cause skin damage, but did you know that it can also cause eye problems? Protect your face and eyes with a peaked cap or hat, and wear sunglasses that have 100% UV protection.
- Some medications, such as drugs prescribed for acne, can increase sensitivity to the sun (and UVA machines), so if you take any of these drugs, increase your sun protection.
- If you like to be tanned, try simulating a tan with self-tanners or spray treatments applied in some salons. Avoid UVA machines. The UV rays they radiate are as harmful as those from the sun.