Acne can be embarrassing, annoying, and stubborn. Whether it affects the face or the body, the causes are always the same: clogged pores, hormonal problems and bacterial infections. To cure it, you can resort to numerous medicines, cosmetics and natural treatments. Find out how to treat acne breakouts to get rid of this nasty ailment.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Taking Care of Your Skin
Step 1. Use a mild cleanser
To treat acne breakouts that affect the body, you can use the same products you would use for your face. For example, if you know you tend to suffer from acne especially on your back, try washing your back regularly with a facial cleanser to prevent future breakouts.
- Facial cleansers help remove dirt, sweat, excess oil, and any other substances that may be blocking pores.
- Choose a gentle cleanser that won't irritate or damage the skin. Although the body tends to be less sensitive than the face, it is still better to avoid irritating the skin with aggressive cleansers.
- Lather with the cleanser of your choice, then apply it to the affected areas of the body. Rinse it off carefully, just like you would your face. Better to do this treatment in the shower, because washing your back or neck on the sink would splash water everywhere.
Step 2. Try over-the-counter creams or lotions
There are many products that can help treat acne. Sometimes it's hard to find your way around trying to figure out which ones would be most effective, but you can compare their respective ingredient lists to determine which one best suits your needs. Here are some of the more common active ingredients.
- Alpha hydroxy acids: remove dead cells to prevent pores from clogging, mitigate skin inflammation and stimulate cell regeneration.
- Benzoyl Peroxide: Kills bacteria that can clog pores.
- Retinoid-based creams: help clear pores and remove dead cells, avoiding future clogging.
- Salicylic Acid: Helps prevent pores from becoming clogged.
- Sulfur: helps eliminate both dead cells and excess sebum.
Step 3. Avoid irritants
Some substances can affect the development of acne, especially if you are particularly prone to sweating. For example, tight clothes are very irritating to the skin because they can trap sweat and oil in the pores.
Wear loose clothing, avoid accessories like backpacks and sports equipment with tight straps or straps. They can cause more friction on sensitive skin and trap even more oil and dirt in the pores
Method 2 of 5: Topical Medicines
Step 1. Consider topical retinoid medications
Just like over-the-counter products available in pharmacies, prescription retinoids help relieve acne breakouts by preventing pores from becoming clogged. Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A, available in several forms, including tretinoin, adapalene and tazarotene.
The use of these retinoids is topical. Apply them in the evening and wait for the skin to get used to it. To get a good result, start using them 3 times a week, then move on to daily use as your skin gets used to it
Step 2. Contact your dermatologist to learn more about dapsone
The dapsone gel is often prescribed to treat acne, usually in combination with a topical retinoid to maximize its effectiveness.
Dapsone can cause irritation, redness, and dryness
Step 3. Talk to your dermatologist to learn more about prescription topical antibiotics
They can eliminate the bacteria that clog pores and cause acne breakouts. Topical antibiotics can also lessen the redness of acne-prone skin. Many are combined with benzoyl peroxide, which can help reduce the likelihood of antibiotic-resistant bacteria developing.
Clindamycin and erythromycin are two examples of topical antibiotics that are combined with benzoyl peroxide
Method 3 of 5: Natural Remedies
Step 1. Look for a fruit acid body cleanser
They have been shown to be effective in fighting acne, so using a product that contains them can help control inflammation. For example, you might look for a citric acid cleanser, extracted from citrus fruits. Other fruit acids include gluconolactone, glycolic acid, gluconic acid, malic acid, and tartaric acid.
- Do not wash more than twice a day.
- If acne develops on the hairline, shampoo it every day.
- You can also wash yourself with a mild soap.
- Treat your body skin when taking a shower or bath. You should also wash it when you sweat.
- Avoid exfoliating it, or you risk irritating it. Wash yourself using your hands or a soft sponge.
- Blot your skin with a clean towel after you're done.
Step 2. Tone your skin with witch hazel water
It has astringent properties, so it can fight acne. You can use it safely on the skin. After cleaning, soak a cotton ball in witch hazel water and apply it to the affected areas, then finish the treatment with a light moisturizer.
Step 3. Moisturize your skin with aloe vera, which can also help fight acne
Apply it every day after cleansing. For example, you could replace your usual body lotion with a veil of pure gel aloe vera.
Step 4. Try a tea tree oil gel with a 5% concentration:
it may prove effective in your specific case. Its effects are compared to those of benzoyl peroxide, which is the active ingredient in various anti-acne products.
- Apply it daily to clean, dry skin.
- Before applying it to a large area, try it on a small area of the skin. Tea tree oil can cause redness and irritation.
Step 5. Use a cream containing 2% green tea extract
It can be effective for mild or moderate acne. Apply it every day after washing your skin.
Be sure to try it on a small area of skin before proceeding to a large area
Step 6. Try brewer's yeast
Taking CBS 5926, a particular strain of brewer's yeast, can help relieve acne breakouts. You can take it in the form of powder, flakes, tablets or liquid.
If you use it in flakes or powder, usually 1-2 tablespoons a day is enough. For tablets or liquids, follow the instructions on the package
Step 7. Sunbathe
Even short exposure to the sun can help fight acne, so try to spend 10-15 minutes outdoors every day. Make sure you don't overdo it or use a tan to try to fix the problem, otherwise you risk damaging your skin and increase your risk of getting cancer.
Method 4 of 5: Medicines for Oral Use
Step 1. Consider oral antibiotics
Topical antibiotics are effective for mild to moderate acne, while oral antibiotics are usually prescribed for more severe and extensive acne breakouts. They are generally only taken for a predetermined period, after which use should be decreased.
Some of the most prescribed oral antibiotics to treat acne include minocycline and doxycycline, both of which are tetracyclines
Step 2. Learn about oral hormonal contraceptives, which can be effective for teenagers and women
In this case, take a pill that generally combines estrogen and progestin. There are different types of tablets and dosages.
- Some of the more common side effects include headaches, nausea, weight gain, breast soreness, and periodic discharge, while more serious adverse effects include the risk of thrombosis.
- Ask your gynecologist if it is convenient for you to take oral contraception.
Step 3. Learn about antiandrogens, such as spironolactone, which can prevent androgens from affecting the functioning of the sebaceous glands
They are usually prescribed to women and teenage girls who have not seen any results with oral antibiotics.
Some of the more common side effects include breast soreness, painful menstruation, and hyperkalemia
Step 4. Consider isotretinoin
It is a very strong oral medicine, usually prescribed to patients who have not responded to other acne treatments. The side effects and risks of isotretinoin are diverse, including: ulcerative colitis, depression or suicide associated with depression, and severe malformations in the event of pregnancy. Taking this drug requires constant medical monitoring, so you can prevent or detect side effects before it's too late.
There are several medicines with this active ingredient. The dosage is determined by the dermatologist
Method 5 of 5: Try Other Treatments
Step 1. Consider phototherapy
It is performed in several ways, in fact researchers have not yet found a method and a definitive concentration to guarantee optimal results. This treatment consists of using light to eliminate the bacteria responsible for acne.
- Depending on the type of phototherapy chosen, it is possible to do this treatment at home or in a doctor's office.
- Possible side effects include pain, redness, and increased sensitivity.
Step 2. Do a chemical peel
If you choose this treatment, a chemical solution (for example based on salyl acid) will be applied to your skin. Chemical peels can be particularly effective in some cases, but cannot be used by those taking retinoids orally, as a combination of these can be very irritating to the skin.
Possible side effects include severe redness, peeling / blistering, and permanent skin blemishes
Step 3. Consider extracting the comedones
If you haven't achieved any results with topical or oral treatments, a dermatologist can try manually pulling out pimples and blackheads. This procedure should only be performed by a qualified professional, in a studio equipped with all the necessary equipment. Remember that it could cause permanent scarring.
Step 4. Consider steroid injections
Some types of acne, such as lump-cystic acne, could be treated in this way. A dermatologist will inject steroids directly into the lesions: the procedure could improve the condition of the skin without having to extract the blackhead. In any case, this treatment could thin the skin, lighten it and make the blood vessels in the affected area visible.
