What are all the problems associated with acne – it's not just the pimples

A lot of people that are not affected with acne will say things like, what is the big deal with acne? Well, there are many bad things associated with acne prone skin. Let me explain all the problems that are related to acne in details. For those of us that suffer from this condition, we are all too familiar with the following things that I'm going to talk about. Get ready, this will be long!

Oily / combination skin – Acne is a condition due to oily or combination skin. There are excessive oil production on our faces, pores get clogged and pimples pop up on our skin. The oily or combination skin is usually inherited from your parents. For most cases, it's genetics and you can't really get rid of the problem from the root. When your parents have acne prone skin, you have a higher chance of inheriting the same type of skin. For example, I got my oily skin from my dad. Oily or combination skin is not all bad. Due to excessive oil production on the skin, we will not age as fast as other people.

Dull complexion and large pores – Those of us with oily and acne prone skin also have dull complexion and large pores. We will constantly develop blackheads on the nose; I haven't found a way to permanently get rid of them. It may not be possible for all I know. This is again due to the nature of our skin and excessive oil production.

Scarring – This is one of the worst things associated with acne. We might be very embarrassed with a big red pimple and made the mistake to pop them. Depending on your skin, you might end up with a scar. Some people will develop severe acne and scars may not even be preventable. These scars on our faces will forever remind us of the damage that acne did to our appearance. With various laser treatments and chemical peals, we might be able to get rid of scars with hundreds of dollars.

Emotional damage and other people's reactions – Acne damage our skin and self esteem. Lots of people look at our skin. We feel it and know it even if you don't say anything. Some people will say something to us like why don't you take care of your skin better?! We try lots of things to make our skin better. But not everything works and some medicine actually make our skin even worse. There are other things people say that are even more rude. Can you just wash your face? If it's simple like that, we will gladly do it.

Flare ups and we don't know when it will get worse again – Most acne sufferers experience sudden flare ups that are very hard to predict. You might have very clear skin the day before, and suddenly your face erupts with two big pimples. That will just ruin your day and your appearance for a while. Some big pimples take a long time to go away and you will just have to cope with it. For most people, popping a pimple is bad thing because it might leave scars. So, you can't even touch it!

Cover up – While women can conceal their active acne and scars with makeup, men do not have the same option. It is generally not accepted for men to wear makeup. It makes it hard for men with acne because your face is exposed for everyone to see and judge.

Now, I hope everyone understands a little bit of what a acne sufferers go through on a daily basis. I'm not talking about just the puberty years. Some people suffer from acne for 10 or more years. Next time when you see another acne sufferer, hopefully you won't be mean!

Another Effective Acne Skin Care Routine

In my previous post, I talked about my own acne skin care routine which worked very well for my skin and kept constantly inflamed acne under control. But you will have to understand that my acne skin care routine does not work for everyone and every skin type. I am here to talk about another very effective acne skin care routine that worked very well for my co-worker and kept his skin acne free for many years. There is no one medicine that takes care of every problem; one will have to spend the time to try different products or combination to find one that will effectively keep their skin in good conditions.

Here are the products that he uses: Proactiv renewing cleanser, Proactiv revitalizing toner, Proactiv repairing treatment, Proactiv refining mask, and Proactiv green tea moisturizer. I believe he purchase all of these products in a package called Proactiv Plus Total Solution. This package is very effective with those with very oily skin. We all know that excessive oil production on the face causes lots of breakouts. He told me that this package from Proactiv controls the amount of oil on the face. Here is how he uses it: the renewing cleanser, revitalizing toner and repairing treatment is used twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. The refining mask is usually used once a week in the winter because he is not as oily in the winter. In the summer, the refining mask is used twice a week for deep cleaning. And the Proactiv green tea moisturizer is uesd once every three days or so.

Even with this acne skin care routine, he still gets one or two pimples every once in a while. But it is so much more manageable than before. Anyone that is affected by moderate to severe acne knows that big pimples are extremely red, painful and takes a week or longer for it to heal. Now he get small pimples once in a while that is much easier to take care of. I had told him that Neutrogena's benzoyl peroxide on the spot treatment and his acne disappears in a day or two. What a difference the Proactiv Plus Total Solution has made on his skin. This acne skin care routine works really well for those with extremely oily, oily or combination skin.

What is your skin type?

There are 4 different types of skin that people have. Why is it important to know your skin type? It is because some skin types are closely related to acne and knowing how to properly take care of your skin is one of the first steps to eliminate acne. Skin is the largest organ and people see it when they first meet you. It is also an indicator of age.

Dry skin:

Dry skin type is not problematic for acne because very little sebum production on the face is not enough to clog pores and won’t attract bacteria. Those with dry skin usually do not have acne problems; but it does have its share of problems. Because of very little sebum production, fine lines / wrinkles can easily develop even in your mid 20’s. It is important to compensate for this problem by using skin care products that add or lock in moisture for your skin.

Key identifying characteristic for dry skin:
- visible dry surface
- very small pores
- tends to be red in the cheeks
- absorb moisturizers quickly
- do not tend to get acne
- has more fine lines / wrinkles than other skin types if not taken care of properly.

Normal skin:

Those that have normal skin type are very lucky. This is the ideal skin type that has very little problems. Let me explain. Because sebum production is normal (not dry or oily), you do not tend to get acne or wrinkles.

Key identifying characteristic for normal skin:
- small pores
- do not tend to get acne
- do not tend to get a lot of wrinkles
- there is the “right” amount of sebum production in the skin

Combination skin:

Those with combination skin are oily at the t-tone areas / forehead and dry on the cheeks. This combination makes these people prone at breakouts where there is lots of oil. These area have bigger pores compared to the cheeks. Those with combination skin should care for the oily part using methods for oily skin. They should find a good moisturizer for the dry parts: cheeks. Mostly speaking, those with combination skin are very similar to oily skin. Pimples occur frequently.

Key identifying characteristic for combination skin:
- very oily t-zone compared to other parts of the face
- dry cheeks
- big pores
- lots of blackheads on the nose
- prone to acne flare ups
- do not tend to get wrinkles at a young age

Oily skin:

Those with oily skin hate their skin because it produces lots of oil constantly. Some people’s skin produces so much oil that in one hour after they wash it, the skin produces a visible layer of oil. It is very hard to deal with because of the appearance and constant breakout that it causes. Pimples occur frequently. Not all is bad about oily skin; those with oily skin do not tend to get wrinkles even later in life. Oily skin will become more manageable with age because the skin tends to produce less oil when you are older.

Key identifying characteristic for oily skin:
- face gets very oily in a short time after they wash it
- big pores
- lots of blackheads on the nose
- prone to acne flare ups
- do not get wrinkles at a young age

Suitable oily / combination skin care products and routines

People that have oily / combination skin type have a very hard time with the proper care of their skin.  Because of over active sebaceous glands that are producing excessive oil or sebum, your skin looks greasy and dirty soon after washing.  Another disadvantage associated with your skin type is that you are very prone to breakouts.  Bacteria love to feed on sebum; skin gets inflamed and you will develop big red pimples. 

Fortunately, with the proper beauty products and daily routine, you can improve the appearance of your skin.  The key to oily / combination skin care is good cleansing, gentle exfoliation, oil control and using suitable skin care products. 

A good cleanser is a must for oily / combination skin care.  Those that are using soap or harsh cleansers that are designed to strip away all facial oil can cause a lot of damage to the skin.  You will need a gentle foaming cleanser that is formulated for oily / combination skin type.  There are some on the market with the active ingredient salicylic acid which targets oily skin with active pimples.  Other cleanser such as Neutrogena’s Transparent Facial Bar for acne-prone skin has no active ingredient but is extremely effective at sebum or oil control.  There is no one cleanser that fits all people; you will have to try different cleansers to find the one that works the best on your skin. 

Here is the proper routine for washing your face: first wet your face with some lukewarm water.  Use your fingers to gently message the cleanser into the skin for a deep clean.  Rinse your face clean with lukewarm water several times to get rid of all traces of cleanser.  Use tissues to gently get rid of all water on face. 

A gentle moisturizer is also very beneficial for those with oily / combination skin types.  However, if you choose the wrong one, it can make those over active sebaceous glands produce even more sebum.  The moisturizer you choose need to be water based, light and non-comedigenic (something that specifically states that or similar to “won’t clog pores”).  In fact, anything you use on the face must state that it does not clog pores.  Apply only once a day.

 Additional exfoliation will be needed for a deeper clean in the summer time.  Oily / combination skin usually have a harder time in the heat where sebaceous glands produce more sebum.  When your sweat is mixed with sebum, you face can get itchy and dirt / oil accumulates more on your face.  A mask that is designed to deeply clean your pores is a good choice to get rid of anything in the pores that will cause breakouts. 

Contrary to popular beliefs that makeup is bad for oily skin, some make up base is specifically designed for oily / combination skin that is acne prone.  In addition to covering blemishes, these can be beneficial to some women in terms of oil control and acne skin.  There are some make up bases that can actually “cure” acne on the face.  My roommate in college uses a Japanese brand makeup that controlled the level of her acne to about one or two small pimples a month.  I think the brand is called Shiseido, which is a very popular make up brand in Asia and Asian communities overseas.