Pimples and zits are not always topics of party conversation, but they are always of concern in the spa. In class we talk a lot about acne, zits and blackheads because almost everyone will experience them at some point in their life. There are many possible reasons for pimples on your face (or even back) such as:
- Excess of oil in your skin
- Poor diet
- Hormone changes/Pregnancy
- Dirt and/or makeup clogged pores
These are just a few, but these seem to be very common reasons why people have unwanted blemishes or even a face-full of acne.
I remember hearing while growing up that I would only experience acne during my teenage years and then it would go away as I entered adulthood. That is completely FALSE. Adult acne is actually extremely common. As you enter adulthood, your hormones continue to change and you can experience acne based on that or from poor skin care. If you’re confused about why you may be experiencing unwanted blemishes, visit your esthetician! If it seems to be a hormone issue or something beyond their scope, they should be recommending that you visit your physician.
Some best practices when dealing with acne, pimples and blackheads:
- Visit an esthetician. They can figure out what skin type you have and determine other factors that may be the cause of your breakouts. They will also recommend products to use on your skin to help with your issue. The appearance and health of your skin is over 80% what you do at home. Getting facials and treatments helps, but most of the responsibility is on you to take care of your skin.
- Don’t pop any pimples unless they have a big juicy white head on them.I can’t stress this enough. Red pimples (called papules) don’t have anything in them, so when you squeeze them, you’re only damaging the skin around it and it can (most likely will) cause you to scar. Even when you’re popping one that’s ready, be careful and gentle with the skin – don’t use your finger nails to extract. This could also cause you to scar. The best time to extract would be after a hot shower.
- When dealing with blackheads, if they aren’t coming out when you press on the skin outside of them, they may not be ready to go. Blackheads may look open and at the surface, but they may really still be covered by a thin layer of skin. Don’t force these out. The best option would be to exfoliate your skin and then try again later after a hot shower.
- If you are dealing with severe acne, you may have grade three or four which means that all the pimples are connected on the inside and you may even have large cysts. Do not pop any of these ever, and visit your esthetician to get advise on treating your skin. Depending on the severity, they may even have you visit your dermatologist for more serious or invasive treatment.
Visiting an esthetician when dealing with any of these issues is your best bet because they should be able to educate you on your skin and provide solutions to help.