5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY TO PREVENT A BREAKOUT TOMORROW
So, you are a ‘good student’ of the skincare academy. You do all the right things. You wash your faces every morning and every evening. You have talked to your consultant or even your dermatologist and have determined what products best fit your skin type and feel confident when you wash your face. Suddenly you feel a little tinge of pain on your jawline. By the end of the day you have a raised red inflamed bump. I hear you. I hear the external sigh and internal “why today of all days” going through your head.
Here are some not so fun facts about acne.
Acne doesn’t care about age, race, or gender. Acne can be caused by a wide variety of things, but if acne is out of your norm then the culprit typically is overproduction of oil or…. hormones. Honestly, hormones can cause the overproduction of the oil in your skin in turn trapping hair follicles. Ekk! That makes the perfect breeding ground for pesky acne to ‘POP UP” pun intended.
Here are 5 tips to help prevent breakouts TODAY!
- DRINK MORE WATER
More water is always an excellent choice. Sugary beverages can produce excess oil that can cause acne, but dehydrated skin can cause excess oil production as well. So, put down your soda and coffee and grab a bottle of water. Need a little added flare to chug water all day? Add sliced lemons or mixed fruits to your water.
- WASH YOUR PILLOWCASE AND SHEETS
Answer yourself this question, “Do you wash your hair every night”? Your hair can carry bacteria or dirt from the day, or just sweat. Though the dry shampoo you sprayed might have your hair smelling fabulous it might welcome bacteria to take up residence on your face.
We all need to get our BEAUTY REST, but it’s so much more than that. When we sleep our bodies have a chance to fall back into rhythm that will help to decrease cortisol-releasing hormones. There is that word again…HORMONES! They play such an important part in our overall health and that is why SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH!
Don’t stress. Easier said than done, but it is so important to find a way to destress not just to prevent acne, but for your overall wellbeing. When you are stressed your body can react similarly to when your body is us of it’s circadian rhythms, meaning elevated levels of cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol can trigger breakouts because it can bind to your oil glands sending them into overdrive.
Seriously, wash your hands and don’t unnecessarily touch your face. There are so many reasons for this other than acne, but for this article we will keep our focus. Let’s start with the obvious. You look in the mirror. You see a glaring pimple.
“It’s huge.”
“Everyone is looking at it.”
“It’s like the size of a billboard. “
“I will just pop it and it won’t look so gross.”
“It won’t be so noticeable if I pop it.”
STOP! Put your pinchers down. Let’s make a few things clear. Nobody is looking at your tiny pimple. I hurt and that makes it feel bigger than it is. When you pop it, you are exposing am already inflamed area to new bacteria, from your fingers, as well spreading the bacteria possibly causing more acne. When you “POP” your acne there is a chance that you will have scar.
So, when in doubt, wash your hands and do not pop your pimples. It will go away in a few days. Keep washing your face morning and night. Keep your hands off your face. Resting your hands on your cheek and chin will cause acne and blackheads to be worse because it will push bacteria and dirt deeper into your pores and then it will come out in unattractive ways.
Remember acne is a pain, but at some point, everyone encounters it. Keep your skin clean and you will get through it. If it becomes more than you can handle reach out to your skin care consultant or dermatologist for additional insight and assistance.
-Aloette South
Megan Spring, Contributing Writer
Aloette MS & AR Central 