Skincare tips for acne-prone skin from a doctor's personal experience
To give you some context, back in the day when I was in high school (which was a loooong time ago lol), I had really severe acne. There was practically no clear skin left on my face. My acne was widespread, covering my entire face. The T-zone was a given, but it was also on my eyebrows, hairline, jawline, and back – every inch was covered. The 3 stages of acne Skin care tips for acne-prone skin. The doctor will share stories from their personal experience.
Having a lot of acne, it was really severe. Part of the reason was due to a lack of understanding about how acne actually forms (well, I wasn't a doctor back then). The treatment was just trial and error—going to places people recommended, trying whatever was suggested. Nothing ever worked. It wasn't until I started learning, studying, applying what I learned, and taking real care of my skin that things gradually improved.
The more I work directly in the beauty field, the more I understand the feelings of patients who come in for acne consultations (because I've been through that experience myself). So today, I'm taking the opportunity to share some acne skincare tips from my personal experience with everyone.
Tip 1: Finish shampooing before washing your face.
Shampoos, conditioners, and hair masks contain hair-coating agents, fragrances, and other chemicals that are not beneficial for acne-prone skin. When we wash our hair, our facial skin unintentionally comes into contact with these substances. Doctors recommend completing the hair washing process and rinsing thoroughly before washing your face to ensure that all residues are removed from your skin in one step.
TIP 2: Use baby shampoo, lather well, and wash hair thoroughly every day.
The scalp and facial skin are interconnected. Unclean hair and residual chemicals on the hair will come into contact with our facial skin when we sleep. Hair rests on the pillow, and as we toss and turn, our face eventually touches that part of the pillow. Our facial skin is in contact with it all night long. This might not be difficult for men, but for women with long hair, it might be a bit challenging. While baby shampoo does clean the hair well, it also makes it dry and tangled. Follow step 3 instead.
TIP 3: If you want to use shampoo, conditioner, or hair mask, use them as usual, then finish with a rinse using baby shampoo once.
To thoroughly remove hair coating, chemicals, fragrances, and excess conditioning agents that haven't been absorbed into the hair. These hair coatings can clog pores and cause acne on the face.
TIP 4: Wash your face with a good quality product. Your face should be clean but not tight and dry.
Clean skin and clean pores are the starting point for clear skin. Choosing the right facial cleanser is extremely important, especially for patients who wear makeup, use foundation, and apply waterproof sunscreen. Foundation can clog pores, which produce oil every day. When combined with dust, smoke, and other pollutants that the skin is exposed to throughout the day, clogged pores can lead to acne. Facial cleansers must thoroughly remove makeup and impurities without leaving the skin dry or rough after washing. Currently, micellar cleansing gels are popular, as their cleansing agents are derived from sugar.
TIP 5: Wash your face for 1 minute each time. Count 1-60 in your head.
When we choose and use a good facial cleanser, the washing time is also important. This is because the cleansing agents need time to react and dissolve makeup and dirt from our pores. The doctor recommends gently massaging with your fingertips and counting to 60 in your head to ensure the cleansing agent works completely, then rinsing with plain water. If you try this, you will find that 60 seconds feels very long compared to how we normally wash our face every day.
TIP 6: Choose water-based creams and serums
An easy way to choose is to pick something liquid that absorbs quickly and doesn't leave your face oily. Acne-prone skin also needs nourishment, but the products you choose shouldn't make your skin too oily. Using rich, creamy products might not be suitable for acne-prone skin, as it can worsen clogged pores. Apply lotions or serums after using acne treatment medications, and then finish with sunscreen.
TIP 7: When using sunscreen, makeup, or foundation, make sure to wash it all off completely.
For women who wear makeup every day, removing makeup, foundation, and sunscreen is very important. This is because these cosmetics tightly cover pores, causing continuous buildup and blockage. If we cannot completely clear them out every day, when using cotton pad cleansing products, gently press them against the skin and let the makeup dissolve. If you rub or press too hard, some of the makeup will come off onto the cotton pad, but another part will be pushed deeper into the pores, leading to clogged pores and acne.
Your doctor recommends using a facial cleanser that can remove makeup and cleanse the skin in one step. This would be convenient and less irritating to your skin than using cotton pads to wipe your face.
TIP 8: To heal quickly and avoid costly laser treatments, don't pick, squeeze, or pop pimples. (This one is difficult, but don't do it. Trust your doctor.)
Don't pop pimples. Short advice, but so hard to follow! It requires multiple layers of self-control, lol. But trust the doctor, the more you pop, the slower it heals, and the more expensive the treatment for scars will be.