Where does the beautiful appearance begin?! There are many important elements in one's beauty: a perfect figure, white even teeth, shining hair, high cheek-bones, full luscious lips... But the most important and attractive, I think, is a flawless healthy skin and naturally-looking complexion. That’s why all skin problems and especially showing up of acne can be a real disaster.

Acne is considered to be mainly a youth problem. But it is quite a wrong belief. The condition doesn't discriminate age, sex or skin color. It can appear at the age of 30 for the first time in one's life and spoil the mood and appearance for a long time.

The one thing about acne we should remember is that it is a disease and in many cases it demands a consultation with a specialist and a regular treatment. Self-medication can be rather dangerous and can leave incurable traces such as scars, dark spots and blotches.

Though there is no a single medication that is effective for all acne sufferers and can cure the condition once and for good, there are a lot of topical treatments, oral drugs, lotions and creams that would help to improve skin condition.

Proper skin care plays not the last role in the struggle against acne. As we know skin and especially face skin is rather sensitive, is influenced by many external factors and wants our every day attention. Particularly areas affected with acne need proper care, persistence, patience and very often a good advice of a health care provider. But some basic principles and rules concerning skin care will certainly help you to achieve some positive results and improvement of the condition.

First of all it is strictly imperative to keep affected areas clean. Though it is known that dirt doesn’t cause acne its interaction with excessive oil, sweat and other debris can lead to an inflammation and worsening of the condition. Therefore it is recommended to gently wash your skin twice a day with a mild cleanser and lukewarm water. The direction of washing should be from under the jaw to the hairline. After washing pat your face dry. Never scrub the skin with your hands or try to stop outbreak by using scrub pads or detergent soaps. Scrubbing will only irritate the skin and make acne worse.

Type of the cleanser for appropriate care depends on the skin type and acne condition. Many acne washes contain antimicrobials such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid which can be very helpful to clear acne sores. There are also topical cleansing pads with the same medications that carefully remove excess oils from the skin and clear out makeup.

After washing and cleansing you should sometimes use mild exfoliates to peel the skin off the dead sells and debris. But remember this procedure can’t be repeated very often, once a week will do, but it's again depends on the skin type. Abrasive cleansers and astringents shouldn’t be used unless the skin is very oily. And never try to pop or squeeze pimples yourself. As though tempting it may seem it does more harm pushing bacteria and dirt further into skin and leading to more swelling and redness.

Moisturizing is also very important in skin caring. But not everyone needs to moisturize. Restorative moisture requires first of all dry skin and skin that is dried out after usage of some acne medications (benzoyl peroxide, for example). The moisturizer should be light, oil-free and non-comedogenic (e. g. it won’t clog up the pores). The best choice would be over-the-counter moisturizers containing anti-bacterial ingredients for acne-prone skin.

Women should be very careful with their cosmetics. The wrong makeup can worsen the condition. Thoroughly choose products that are labeled as non-comedogenic and oil-free. Whenever possible try not to use any cosmetic products and let your face skin breathe.

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The last piece of advice concerns sun-protection. It can seem that tan can conceal your skin problems. But it is temporarily. Under the sun exposure body increases oil production and as we know excess oil can lead to acne inflammation. Besides a lot of acne medications makes the skin particular sensitive. This sensitivity can lead to painful sunburns, redness or other skin damages. So avoid spending much time under the sun’s rays and wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 (also non-comedogenic).

Acne sufferers should remember one more thing about acne. There is no magic cure for this disease. The first results after starting treatment will be seen only in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile acne needs your everyday care and persistence to manage the problem in order to be healthy and beautiful.

Lyudmyla

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