For those who have a history of recurring acne, the fear of another breakout can be like a horrible nightmare. Luckily, there are many things you can do and habits you can practice to decrease your chances of a flare-up.
Clean Your Face Regularly
This first tip may seem obvious, but it’s also the most important one. Many people think that once their acne has cleared up for a few days or weeks, they can suddenly forgo washing their skin. In fact, this is the most important time for you to do maintenance; because acne arises out of a combination of clogged pores, certain hormones and bacteria, once you start to notice the onset of a breakout, it will be too late. You don’t even need to use expensive topical medications or creams. A thorough cleaning with soap and water will do the trick for most people.
Drink As Much Water As You Can
The amount of water you’ve been taking in could be a deciding factor in the amount of breakouts you experience. Drinking water flushes toxins out of your system and also helps to keep your skin from drying out and cracking. Most health professionals recommend 60 to 80 ounces of water per day for the average person, but make sure to drink more if you have a higher body weight or if you ever feel dehydrated.
Avoid Touching Your Face When Possible
Even if you’re someone who makes a point of keeping your hands very clean, there’s a good chance that your fingers and palms carry a lot of oil. Throughout the day, some people do a lot of resting their faces on their hands, exposing their skin to unnecessary chemicals while not even realizing the harm they are doing. Make an effort to catch yourself in any of these positions.
Learn About Which Foods to Keep Away From
Some types of foods can help lead to acne in a hurry. In general, the biggest perpetrators are fatty foods and foods that have an abundance of refined sugar. Particularly, seafood, chocolate, margarine, anything with soybean oil, potato chips and bacon are a few that cause the most damage. Also try to avoid things that have high iodine content. While iodine in moderation is a key nutrient for our bodies, it can get in the way of successful acne treatment. Keep in mind that while there are many foods that can lead to acne, there are others that can help fight it as well.
Keep Tabs on When Your Acne Crops Up
Try keeping a journal of all the things that occur in your life that could cause acne or could help fight acne. For example, if you eat one of the no-no foods listed above, log it and see if it actually affects your skin’s condition moving forward. Keep tabs on how much exercise you do daily, how much sleep you are getting, how much water you are drinking, and anything else you can think of. Doing this will help you recognize patterns and hopefully help you identify the root causes of your acne. Because acne can arise as a result of so many different factors, it’s important for everyone to pay close attention to where their acne is coming from particularly.
Mountain View Dermatology provides non-invasive acne treatments and professional skin care solutions.