ACNE – NOT ONLY FOR TEENAGERS

April 12, 2021
|In Uncategorized
|By Marketing

Do you notice reoccurring breakouts popping up in the same location on your face? If you find yourself plagued by acne, you aren’t alone; over 50 million people each year suffer from acne. Often we think of acne as only affecting teenagers, but acne also occurs in adults too. Here at Pittsburgh Skin, we enjoy treating acne because we know that healthy-looking skin can have a great impact on a client’s self-esteem and well-being. While everyone is different, here are some tips for managing acne at any age:

  1. Find a gentle facial wash that you like and use it to wash your face at least twice daily. Dr. Vélez recommends brands like Cetaphil or CeraVe as some of her favorites. You can also consider adding in a more medicated wash like Neutrogena’s Pink Grapefruit Salicylic Acid Wash or Panoxyl Benzoyl Peroxide Wash as well, to be used in place of your daily cleanser a few times per week. Be careful not to completely replace a stronger acne wash like these with your everyday cleanser as the medicated washes will likely be too drying for your skin if used twice daily.
  2. As the summer heats up and outdoor exercise and activities increase, consider using facial wash wipes immediately post-workout or practice to help keep dirt from building up on the skin.
  3. A healthy diet is also important! While the impact of diet on acne is controversial, studies show that high-carb diets and some dairy products may contribute to breakouts. Dr. Vélez recommends sticking to a healthy, well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and proteins to help combat acne.
  4. If you’re developing tender pimples or find breakouts not improving with over-the-counter product use, schedule a consult with a dermatologist. There are many prescriptions (both topical and oral) which can treat and prevent breakouts. Use of these products will help to treat acne early, ultimately preventing future facial scarring.
  5. Wear your sunscreen! Sun exposure can actually worsen acne scarring. UV rays waken the collagen in our skin, which can make scars deeper and less likely to improve. Use of a daily SPF 30 or higher will help keep your collagen strong and prevent the darkening of existing scars.

If you’re struggling with acne, given Dr. Vélez and the staff at Pittsburgh Skin a call for an in-person or over-the-phone acne evaluation.