How to Prevent Acne

While some products come very close to curing acne, there's no real 'cure'. Your efforts are better spent knowing how to prevent acne by being pro-active and using acne prevention methods instead.

Products such as benzoyl Peroxide and acutane are the closest things to acne prevention, however, there are also things that you can do at home to keep acne at bay or from getting worse.

• Gently wash your face every day. Take care not to scrub too hard or use scrubbing materials. Also do not wash too often. Once or twice a day is generally sufficient.

• Avoiding excessive sweating. Since sweating can be hard to avoid, wash soon after participating in activities that cause you to sweat. Anti-bacterial wipes for your face are a good idea to carry with you for times that you may sweat excessively.

• Wash your hair often if you hair is oily. Also try to keep it off your face as much as possible.

• Avoid hair care products such as gels, mousses, cream rinses or hair products that contain lots of oils. These can actually make your acne worse.

• Shaving and Acne - Gentlemen, shave with care. Those who shave and who have acne can test both electric and safety razors to see which is more comfortable. If you use a safety razor, you should use a sharp blade and soften your beard thoroughly with soap and water before applying shaving cream. Nicking blemishes can be avoided by shaving lightly and only when necessary.

• Avoid Frequent Handling of your Skin - Never squeeze, pick or pop a pimple. If you do, you risk developing scars or dark blotches. People should avoid rubbing and touching their skin lesions. Please don't pop pimples, no matter how small the pimple, it can leave scars.

• Choosing Makeup - All cosmetics should be oil free, be sure to read the label. It may be hard to apply foundation evenly during the first few weeks of treatment because the skin may be red or scaly, particularly with the use of topical tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide. Oily hair products may eventually spread over the forehead, causing closed pores. Products that are labeled as noncomedogenic (do not promote the formation of closed pores) should be used. Keep in mind that even though certain products may claim to be recommended for acne prone skin they can sometimes still cause acne, so be careful with makeup.
•  Always use a sunscreen. The sun is never good for your skin. Many of the medications used to treat acne can make you sensitive to the sun and cause burning. A sunburn that reddens the skin or suntan that darkens the skin may make blemishes less visible and make the skin feel drier. However, these benefits are only temporary, and there are known risks of excessive sun exposure, such as more rapid skin aging and a risk of developing skin cancer.

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