Acne Skin Care

Good acne skin care can help prevent or minimize acne flare-ups and acne scars. For proper acne skin care, most doctors recommend that people gently wash their skin with a mild cleanser twice a day and also after heavy exercise. Additional components of an acne skin care plan include: avoiding frequent handling of the skin, shaving carefully, avoiding excessive sun exposure, and choosing cosmetics carefully.

 

Acne Skin Care: An Overview

Good acne skin care can help prevent or minimize acne flare-ups and acne scars. Maintaining appropriate acne skin care includes:
 
  • Cleaning the skin gently
  • Avoiding frequent handling of the skin
  • Shaving carefully
  • Avoiding a sunburn or suntan
  • Choosing cosmetics carefully.
     

Acne Skin Care: Clean Skin Gently

For proper acne skin care, most doctors recommend that people gently wash their skin with a mild cleanser, once in the morning and once in the evening, and also after heavy exercise.
 
Some people with acne may try to stop outbreaks and oil production by scrubbing their skin and using strong detergent soaps and rough scrub pads. However, scrubbing will not improve acne; in fact, it can make the problem worse.
 
Patients should ask their doctor or another health professional for advice on the best type of cleanser to use for acne skin care. As part of their skin care program, patients should wash their face from under the jaw up to the hairline. It is important that patients thoroughly rinse their skin after washing it.
 
Astringents are not recommended unless the skin is very oily, and then they should only be used on oily spots. Doctors also recommend that patients regularly shampoo their hair. Those with oily hair may want to shampoo it every day.
 
(Acne Skin Care Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD