Using a new acne product every few days may seem helpful, but that approach can make acne worse.
Treat your acne for
at least 4 weeks to take effect. Acne treatment needs time to work. Using a different product every few days can also irritate the skin and cause new breakouts.If a treatment works for you, you'll notice some improvement in 4 to 6 weeks. Improvement may take two to three months or longer. If you notice an improvement, keep using the treatment. Even when you see that it's disappearing, you'll want to keep using the acne treatment. This helps prevent new outbreaks.
I often recommend a topical retinoid cream to unclog pores and exfoliate the skin. Retinoids also have some anti-inflammatory effects and increase the rate at which skin cells divide. This helps to heal the skin faster. Conventional acne treatments, such as salicylic acid, niacinamide or benzoyl peroxide, have been shown to be the most effective acne solutions, but they can be costly and have undesirable side effects, such as dryness, redness and irritation.
Acne usually disappears in early adulthood, although some people will continue to have acne into adulthood. Your healthcare provider won't need to perform any diagnostic tests for acne, but they may offer tests to diagnose any underlying condition if you have sudden, severe acne breakouts, especially if you're an adult. For example, if you're using an acne treatment that contains benzoyl peroxide, the second acne treatment must contain another acne-fighting ingredient. The hormonal fluctuations that cause acne are more common during adolescence, but they can also affect adults.
While using an acne treatment may seem simple enough, how much and how often you use it can make a big difference. Adults can also suffer from it, and women tend to have more acne in adulthood than men, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. In most cases, acne goes away on its own at the end of puberty, but some people still struggle with acne in adulthood. Women may have hormonal changes during their menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause that cause acne breakouts.
If acne makes you feel anxious or prevents you from participating in social activities with friends and family, talk to a health or mental health professional. Even if you have a mild case of acne, it can be helpful to visit your doctor regularly to see how your skin is progressing with treatment. While these results indicate that exfoliation can improve skin health and appearance, more research is needed on acne. Acne is a skin condition that occurs when skin follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells.
With medication treatment and a good skincare routine, you can accelerate your body's healing time so that acne clears up faster. It's a very common condition, and most people have had acne throughout their lives, especially during adolescence, as the sebaceous glands produce more oil.
