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We spend a lot of our teenage and adult lives worrying about acne breakouts. That is, those of us unfortunate enough to struggle with it. What’s worse than the dreaded acne itself, is the redness that lingers afterward. How do you get rid of it when it just doesn’t seem to want to go away? Will your face have acne scars forever? Is there a way to avoid the redness, to begin with?
What causes the red skin to stick around long after a pimple is gone, is usually trauma. Many people find it difficult to refrain from picking at their pimples, and others simply squeeze way too hard or try before it’s ready to be popped. This problem is instantly exacerbated.
When you pick at or squeeze a pimple, you’ll cause the skin surrounding it to be stretched and damaged. Because of this, your body will produce more melanin, causing the skin to turn red. While these marks are called acne scars, they’re not permanent, and there are ways to shorten the time they are visible.
If you’re dealing with redness from picking your skin when you have a pimple or waiting for a popped one to heal up, try using ice to reduce not only the redness but also the swelling. How does the ice achieve this? First, it cools down the tissue’s temperature. This causes the cell metabolism to be lowered in the cells surrounding the traumatized skin. It also helps to decrease secondary tissue damage around the trauma area.
If your problem is beyond the help that ice can give, you may need to start looking into other options. There are blemish treatments available on the market that can help reduce the swelling and discoloration. You can also use products with anti-inflammatory properties to help prevent the scars in the first place. Where do you begin looking for the products that will rid your skin of the remnants of that pimple forever? I’m here to make that task less daunting for you.
Blemish Treatments
Before diving into the blemish treatment option, try to clear your acne with topical creams like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. These products can help acne dry out and even do some work unclogging your pores. Treating acne can be a long, frustrating process. However, if you’re patient, you could notice a major difference in your skin in 6 to 8 weeks’ time. It may even help to start paying closer attention to your diet, stress levels, and lifestyle to see if there’s something you can change to help improve your skin.
Benzoyl peroxide is an antimicrobial product that will reduce the number of bacteria found in your skin, causing acne. It will also help to unclog pores. In today’s world, there is a wide variety of products on the market that use benzoyl peroxide as the main ingredient.
1 – Paula’s Choice (Benzoyl Peroxide)
Paula’s Choice Daily Skin Clearing Treatment is made with 5% benzoyl peroxide and is to be used as an acne prevention measure. The plant extracts will soothe your skin to help reduce discolorations and blemishes. None of the ingredients used will irritate the skin or dry it out. This treatment can be used twice a day and is light enough for a matte finish – it can be used underneath makeup.
This product is oil-free and controls excess oil on the skin. Not only does it soothe redness that already exists, but it helps prevent future blemishes from appearing. If you do experience dryness or skin peeling after using this treatment, reduce how often you apply it. Try once a day or once every other day.
2 – CeraVe (Benzoyl Peroxide)
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser contains benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient. This product has hyaluronic acid, which helps the skin to retain its natural moisture. Niacinamide is used to help calm the skin (reduce swelling and redness).
Ceramides will work together to clean, hydrate, and keep the protective skin barrier. This creamy product turns into a foam when dispensed and rubbed between the hands or on skin. This product works for dry skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, acne-prone skin, and combination skin. It is dermatologist tested, and customer approved.
3 – Paula’s Choice (Salicylic Acid)
This product is an exfoliant that is applied and left on. It works to unclog pores and shrink them, brighten skin tone, reduce discolorations, and even help smooth wrinkles. As an exfoliant, this product will clear away the dead skin cells that build up on your face and cause pores to clog. The ingredient salicylic acid does all the hard work to bring you healthier, younger-looking skin. It’s great for all skin types and does not cause dry, flaky skin unless you have an allergic reaction.
Medicated Acne Treatments
If you’ve tried all the topical creams and treatments and waited eight weeks and have yet to see any improvement, it may be time to talk to a doctor about medicated topical cream or an oral prescription. You’ll want to set up an appointment with a dermatologist, explain your skin issues, and get the best advice on what could be prescribed. Different products work better for different skin.
When you use prescription-strength topical creams, they’ll eliminate the bacteria that cause acne. It will unclog pores, decrease inflammation, and even treat rosacea. When it comes to oral prescriptions, they’ll only be able to eliminate bacteria and reduce inflammation. Most often, the doctor will prescribe cream in conjunction with oral medicine.
1 – Minocycline Products
Minocycline is an oral prescription antibiotic which is used to treat inflammatory acne. What’s considered inflammatory acne? If you have painful, red, cystic bumps instead of regular pimples, you have inflammatory acne. This prescription will kill the bacteria that cause the acne and help reduce the inflammation – thus reducing the pain.
2 – Tretinoin and Niacinamide
Tretinoin is an ingredient used in anti-inflammatory creams that works to promote collagen growth (repairs tissues and fortifies skin), enhance your skins’ natural glow, and treat acne and fine lines. Niacinamide is an ingredient that works to decrease the inflammation caused by acne. It counteracts tretinoin to avoid redness occurring and improves hyperpigmentation, where patches of skin are darker than the rest of the face and body.
How to Obtain a Prescription Online
Many people don’t like going to the doctor, even when they know they really need to. If this is the case for you, have no fear; you can still get your acne under control without having to see a doctor in person. Some websites allow you to virtually meet with a doctor from the comfort of your home. This dermatologist will have a session with you to determine if and what products will help your skin to return to its natural beauty.
Apostrophe
A website called apostrophe.com offers a wide variety of skincare products that fit the needs of all skin types and most skin issues (such as redness, swelling, clogged pores, discoloration, acne, fine lines, and wrinkles). All you need to do is register for an account, talk to one of their dermatologists, and receive your prescription through the mail if they determine you need one.
