When Pimples Haunt Your Porcelain Face

The hot and humid weather of summer aggravates your acne prone skin. Although commonly known as a teenage malady, they are not infrequent in adults. A thorough survey indicates that almost 80 per cent of teenagers suffer from acne. Dr. Gulshan Panesar, consultant dermatologist with Moolchand Medcity explains, “Acne Vulgaris or a pimple is a problem commonly seen in the age group of 15-30 years. At the time of puberty, the adrenal glands and glands associated with reproductive system begin to secrete hormones, which stimulate the sebaceous glands in dermis, thereby producing more sebum. This sebum is unable to drain to the surface of the skin because of formation of plugs of dead skin (blackhead). As a result sebum leaks into the dermis causing inflammation which is a pimple.”

Causes 

• Oily skin
• Constipation
• Absence of scrupulous skin-cleaning schedule
• Consumption of soda, tea and coffee
• Less consumption of water
• Late nights
• Hormonal imbalance
• Hereditary
• Stress factor
• Reaction to medicines

Symptoms 

• Itching
• Swelling and discomfort
• Redness, etc.

Do’s 

• Cleanse your skin regularly with a mild cleanser. Wash acne-prone areas only twice a day. Washing removes excess oil and dead skin cells. But too much washing can irritate the skin. Wash areas daily with a gentle cleanser and use oil-free, water-based skin-care products.
• Tone with an alcohol free toner
• Use a gel based sunscreen
• Use an oil free moisturizer
• Regular exercise goes a long way in maintaining the health of skin in all age groups
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and salads which are natural source of vitamins and antioxidants
• Drink 2 litres of water daily
• Learn methods and techniques like—visualisation, meditation to reduce stress. Pimples get worse under stress.
• Sleep for seven to eight hours, there has to be some reason for sleep to be called ‘beauty-sleep’

Don’ts

• Avoid junk food and caffeinated beverages
• Avoid injudicious use of cosmetics and beauty procedures from untrained professionals.
• Don’t pop your pimples as it can leave scars.

Home remedies

1. Put toothpaste—the paste and not the gel kind on your pimple before you go to bed, it should help reduce swelling overnight. This is one of the most popular acne home remedies.
2. Wash your face twice a day in warm salty water. This should leave your face oil free without aggravating the acne.
3. Apply a paste of fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves over the face every night for 10-15 minutes and washed with warm water. This will prevent acne pimples, blackheads, and wrinkles.
4. Place strawberry leaves on the acne, the alkalinity helps to reduce the swelling.
5. Extract juice of one lemon and mix with equal quantity of rose water. Apply this mixture on the face and let it stay for about half an hour. Wash the face with fresh water. About 15 days application helps cure acne, pimples and reduces blemishes and scars.
6. Another method is to massage the face with the skin of lemon before washing with lukewarm water.
7. Apply fresh mint juice over the face
8. Some people swear by aspirin mask to reduce pimples. Crush three four aspirins and spray it with honey. Put the paste on your face and see the outstanding results after some time. Sallycylic acid in aspirin is found in almost all pimple removal creams.

Zap zits

If acnes refuse to respond to home treatment in a fortnight’s time, visiting a dermatologist is a good idea. A dermatologist will ensure that there is no underlying endocrinal cause for acne and also suggest appropriate treatment. In cases of acne associated with hirsutism and irregular periods and weight gain in females hormonal profile becomes mandatory.

“Treatment of acne depends whether it is mild, moderate or severe”, says Dr. Panesar and the modality differs accordingly.

• For mild acne-regular cleansing and topical applications like clindamycin, benzoyl peroxide, suffice.
• For moderate acne-oral antibiotics are required in addition to the above
• In severe acne- oral retinoids like isotretinoin are required.

In mild and moderate acnes risk of scarring is minimal

For mild and moderate acne chemical peels, in addition to other modalities, give faster response and minimize scarring and improve the texture of skin.

Hot tip
Wear sun block while out in the sun, as pimples are raw skin and prone to sunburn. Use a facial mud mask. It shrinks the pimples and controls the oil. You should never use scrubs because it can irritate the pimple-ridden skin.

Sailing across the beauty maze

A huge hype surrounds anti acne products that flood the market. Each product assures itself as the best one. With so many acne products on the market to choose from but you do not know which is the best acne product that works for you. Will they really keep your nightmare at bay? Let us take a look at some of the common ingredients in some of the best acne products.

• Benzoyl Peroxide - This is one of the most common acne treatments around. It can be effective on treating pimple spots; it is also known to be drying to the skin. People who have sensitive skin may experience skin irritation or burning with this ingredient. The key here is to use sparingly.
• Salicylic Acid - This solution works by removing dead skin cells that clog the pores and cause acne. It is effective both as a treatment as well as maintenance. It can be used in facial wash or applied on the skin in the evening.
• Alpha Hydroxy Acids - AHA can be derived from milk, sugar cane or fruits. Its function is to remove excess sebum in the skin and clear clogged pores.
• Retinoids - They are a derivative of Vitamin A and are available in two forms: oral and topical. These are used for more severe acne, as the product is quite strong.
• Astringent— It shrinks the pores of your skin, but it also penetrates in your skin, and dries the pimples.

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