7 Proven Ways That Will Help You Get Rid of Acne Forever
Your face is usually the first thing most people notice about you, and this can result in them having bad perceptions of you when the first thing they see is a face full of acne. Acne can negatively affect one’s chances of employment, especially for jobs where physical appearance is considered important. Asides from these, the general quality of life is usually affected as well.
Acne vulgaris, commonly called acne, is a chronic skin condition that occurs when sebum, a thick oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin and dead skin cells accumulate and clog hair follicles. The block inflow of this oily secretion will provide a good breeding place for some bacteria, eventually causing some of the features of acne (redness, pain).
There are several possible causes of acne. This includes Smoking, diets with high-glycemic-load such as white bread, cakes, doughnuts, and candies; hormones, and heredity. While there are several studies done and ongoing on the above causes, hormones and heredity are considered to be the major causes of acne.
A lot of times, acne is wrongly called pimples, but pimples are just one of the features of acne — others are whiteheads, blackheads, and oily skin.
Since it is formed by the accumulation of secretions of oily glands, it most commonly affects the skin in parts of the body with high numbers of oil glands. This includes the back, face, and chest.
Generally, acne in itself does not have any significant effect on your health but in many people, it can lead to reduced self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts in some cases. So, if this is your concern, or all you want to do is to get a spotless and smooth face, you are at the right place. Now, let’s dive right into it.
How to Get Rid of Acne on the Face
If you have acne, it is very likely that you will be getting a lot of treatment suggestions from people you come across. In fact, this is usually the next thing said to you after greetings. Well, our aim in this article is to provide you with tested practical ways how to get rid of acne on the face. And the good news is that most of the things we mentioned here are easily accessible to you.
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1. Stop Popping Pimples
As simple as it sounds, this can go a long way in ensuring you get faster treatment for acne. It is always tempting to squeeze or pop the pimples on your face whenever you look into the mirror but don’t. While your dermatologist can safely do this for you, doing it yourself would likely result in redder and bumpier pimples. The chances of infection should not be taken lightly as well.
2. Toothpaste Can Treat Your Acne Too
Toothpaste has been used for some time to treat acne. Rubbing some amount of it on your pimples and allowing it to stay overnight can help to clear them, especially when continued for some days. Nevertheless, it is not recommended to use toothpaste that contains gels for this purpose.
3. Apply Tea Tree Oil on the Spots
Tea tree oil has been reported to be effective in fighting bacteria on the skin as well as reducing skin inflammation. If you have used some pharmaceutical creams and suffered from their unwanted side effects of irritation and dry skin, you should probably try tea tree oil.
To use tea tree oil, mix it with water, and use a cotton ball or swab to apply it on the affected spots. Repeat as necessary.
4. Apply Green Tea to Your Face
Apparently, the green tea you take in the morning before you begin the day’s work or later in the day after a hard day’s work has other uses apart from relieving you of stress. Green tea is rich in antioxidants as well as other ingredients that help fight bacteria.
Applying green tea extract, or skincare products containing it on your skin will help to reduce inflammation and inhibit the growth of bacteria that can cause or worsen your acne. Additionally, drinking green tea is said to be important in reducing sebum production and general body fat.
5. Use Aloe Vera to Moisturize Your Face
Aloe vera is a plant that grows in tropical parts of the world e.g Africa. A clear gel is produced from the leaves of the plant which is used as an important ingredient in many skincare products. This includes body ointments, creams, lotions, and soaps.
Aloe vera comes in handy to treat your acne because it contains sulphur and salicylic acid. Both are important ingredients in many over-the-counter lotions and creams used to treat acne.
When you apply it to your skin, it will encourage wound healing, treat rashes, abrasions, burns, redness, itching, and pain. Interestingly, it is also used to treat stomach aches.
For best results, you should combine it with tea tree oil.
Using it is easy, just take some leaves from the plant and scrape the gel out into a clean container. Use it as a moisturiser once or twice daily. You can also buy pure aloe vera gel from a pharmacy or beauty products store.
6. Take Fish Oil Supplement
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids which have several health benefits, including acne treatment. It might not be very effective when used alone, but people who have used it have attested to its effectiveness in reducing inflammatory symptoms of acne such as redness and pain as well as general risk for developing acne.
The omega-3 fatty acids mentioned above can be obtained from a balanced diet containing foods like sardines, salmon, chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts, nevertheless, supplements are available in pharmacies for those whose diet is poor in fatty acids.
7. Exercise Regularly
The benefits of exercise are diverse. This includes the prevention and treatment of a lot of diseases. Since exercise improves blood circulation and hormonal regulation, frequenting it also helps to treat acne by providing adequate nourishment for the skin cells.
In addition, exercise helps to relieve stress, which is suspected to be among the causes of acne. Research is still ongoing to find out how exactly stress causes acne and how exercise helps in treatment.
There are several options available; you can start with light exercises like walking, and then eventually move to other ones if you are considered fit.
How to Prevent Pimples
Knowing how to get rid of acne on the face is not as important as knowing how to prevent it from occurring or reoccurring after treatment. Good thing is that you won’t have to spend a dime to do most of them.
- Keep your face clean but avoid harsh scrubbing, as this can cause and worsen acne.
- Avoid or reduce intake of foods linked with acne such as high-glycemic foods like whitebread and donuts
- Wear sunscreen when going outdoors
- Apply topical treatments for mild skin conditions before they get severe
- Be mindful of the skincare products you use. Always consult with a dermatologist or a skin care expert before you buy new products.
- Reduce stress
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight, as being overweight is sometimes linked to acne.
- Avoid excessive skin exfoliation
- Discuss with a dermatologist on other preventive measures you should take especially if you are at risk of developing acne.
Conclusion
Acne has a variety of causes and thus the treatments might differ accordingly too. The methods of how to get rid of acne on the face mentioned in this article, in no way represent an exhaustive list, there is several other methods available and ongoing research on them.
Have you tried any of the methods above or other ones not mentioned in this article, we would love to hear about your experience. Thanks for reading through.
FAQs
How can I clear up acne fast?
You can use over-the-counter treatments containing salicylate and benzoyl peroxide.
How can I clear my acne naturally?
There are several options available; this includes spot-treating with tea tree oil, aloe vera, and adopting a good diet control habit.
What causes acne on the face?
Acne is linked to several causes. Two of the most important are genetics and hormonal imbalance. Others are personal hygiene, poor skin care, and diet.
What kills acne on the face?
To kill acne on the face, you can apply some gel-free toothpaste, or paste of crushed aspirin and allow it overnight. You can also use the several natural methods available.
Should I see a doctor for acne treatment?
You can easily treat mild to moderate acne with natural home remedies or over-the-counter drugs. However, a dermatologist is in the best position to evaluate and treat you, especially in recurring or severe cases.
Two of my older siblings currently have acne on their faces; my mum said she suffered from it as a teenager, does it mean acne can be inherited?
Yes. According to a study, acne is highly heritable, so if you are not affected by it, at the moment, it is very important for you to observe the preventive measures mentioned in this article
Can I buy over-the-counter drugs for my acne?
There are several over-the-counter ointments, gels, and lotions available for acne treatment. Some are highly affected but might be associated with unwanted effects such as irritation, redness, and dryness. To avoid or at least, minimise this, meet a dermatologist to recommend the most suitable one(s) for you.