Acne treatment program or three steps to clear skin

Problem skin is not clear skin that has pimples, blackheads, acne. We are going to talk here about acne treatment. The most important thing in acne treatment is to get a proper diagnosis. Not every pimple on problem skin can be attributed to acne. The diagnosis should not be made by eye, but should be confirmed by the results of tests.

First of all, other common skin conditions must be ruled out, such as a subcutaneous mite and coccus infection, the appearance of pimples or blackheads of which often resemble acne. A mite or coccus infection can be detected by tests, unlike acne. (Acne cannot be detected by tests.) Only after a mite or coccus infection has been ruled out can you proceed to the acne treatmentIt is also important to keep in mind that problem skin can have several types of infections that cause pimples, blackheads, and acne. It is also important to keep in mind that problem skin can have several types of infections that cause pimples, blackheads and acne.

At the same time, we should not forget about such a problem that usually "haunts" the skin suffering from acne. Post-acne are scars, dimples, red spots, which usually leave behind subcutaneous blackheads. The use of professional cosmetics can prevent the appearance of postacne. But if it has already happened, you should not hesitate for long. The sooner you buy a unique remedy for scars PROF NBE 500 STRIAE, the faster you will get rid of postacne.

Once you understand the causes and stages of acne, pimples, blackheads and acne, you will find that the Acne Treatment Program is logical, obvious, relatively simple and very reliable for getting problem skin back to normal. By following this program, after 6 weeks (and most often even sooner) 95 people out of 100 will find that their pimples, blackheads, and acne have disappeared. It is important to keep in mind that the Acne Treatment Program helps clear problem skin solely from acne. If there is a subcutaneous mite or coccus infection, using the program on problem skin is completely useless. Remember. Not all pimples, blackheads, acne are acne. Look for the cause and make a diagnosis before you start treating pimples, blackheads, acne.

The author of this program is an English plastic surgeon. This program was used by his wife, a model, who suffered from acne.As a result, she got rid of problem skin and blackheads, pimples, acne forever.

Source: T.J.Debrow, Brenda D.Adderly. The Acne Cure. The revolutionary nonprescription treatment plan that cures even the most severe acne and shows dramatic results in as little as 24 hours. Rodale Inc. 2003)

Treatments for problem skin are usually harsh and irritants are used. To avoid turning the skin into sensitive skin, any treatment should be done on restored skin. Care regimen here.

Step One. Cleansing

To minimize the spread of acne, you should cleanse your skin as much as possible without over-drying it. By the way, ordinary toilet soap is NOT an ideal skin cleanser, as it has alkaline properties and therefore neutralizes acid-containing sebum, depriving it of its antibacterial properties. It is much preferable to use cleansing creams with pH-neutral or acidic reaction or other non soapy products. So, first, let's clean the skin in places of inflammation from excess dead cells. Here we apply the old aphorism that a drop of prevention is worth a kilogram of cure.

Therefore, the first step of the Acne Treatment Program is to cleanse the surface of the skin in the areas of inflammation from dead skin cells and remove sebum. The best remedy for pre-cleaning clogged and inflamed pores is salicylic acid. It is sold in pharmacies in a solution. It is also found in the composition of cosmetics. When buying cosmetics with salicylic acid, read the label carefully and choose a product that contains acid in 2% concentration. Lower concentration acid may be ineffective and higher concentration may not be needed. Also make sure that the cosmetics do not contain other active ingredients, especially glycolic acid. This substance is used in the second stage of the Acne Treatment Program. Treat inflamed areas with salicylic acid twice a day for 6 weeks (or until the acne disappears completely).

Salicylic acid (the basis for aspirin, so it is contraindicated in people allergic to aspirin) is an interesting chemical. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, while treating problem areas with salicylic acid will also reduce inflammation around the pores. In addition, it is able to penetrate (albeit shallowly) into inflamed pores where acne bacteria "reside".

Method of Application:

1. Cleanse the skin with an industrial wash. When choosing a cleanser, pay attention to the pH level (it is better to choose cosmetics with pH from 5.5 to 7.5). You can use baby shampoo from Johnson & Johnson. Cleanse twice a day - morning and evening, before treatment. This is especially important for those who apply decorative cosmetics.
2.  Moisten the acne-affected area of the skin with warm water (if there are several, treat at the same time).
3. Pour a small (about the size of a penny coin) amount of salicylic acid lotion into the palm of your hand. If you bought a 2% salicylic acid solution at the pharmacy, make sure to dilute it first in water 1 to 10 and only then pour it into the palm of your hand.
4. Add a few drops of water and stir (preferably with a stick with absorbent cotton on the end) until the water and lotion are completely blended.
5. Using a circular motion with a clean finger, gently rub the salicylic acid into the areas of affected skin. You can cauterize these areas using a cotton swab.
6. Make sure you lubricate all areas with signs of acne.
7. Repeat the process on other affected areas - chest, back, etc. (You may need help to treat the back).
8.  Leave the lotion on for a while (say, while you brush your teeth) and then rinse your skin with warm water. You can also take a shower. Do this in the morning and before going to bed.
9.  After carrying out the first and second step (using glycolic acid), be sure to moisturize your skin. It is better to choose moisturizing creams that do not contain mineral oils or paraffins. The ideal moisturizer can be base oils or cosmetics that contain base oils. Be sure to blot your skin 10-15 minutes after applying any moisturizing cream or oil.

Men should do this procedure immediately after shaving.

Step Two. Removing the plugs

Next, it is necessary to remove the plugs that have clogged the pores. It is not difficult to remove those that are relatively close to the surface of the skin. The difficulty appears in removing those plugs that are formed in the depth of the pores. All you see in this case is a red swelling without an exit hole. Don't try to squeeze out these blackheads, and don't do cleansing on skin that has this kind of inflammation. If you do not interfere with the maturation of such acne, you will NOT allow new inflammations to form. In severe forms of acne, the Acne Treatment Program may take longer than 6 weeks. It takes time for the remnants of deep-seated infectious foci to reach the surface and clear. However, during this time, as long as the plugs deep in the pores gradually come to the surface, no new ones will form and you will see your skin improve day by day.

Salicylic acid, used in the Step 1It is NOT intended to remove plugs that are deep inside. Its role is to clean the surface of the skin from excess dry cells and bacteria. A stronger substance called glycolic acid is designed to penetrate deeper and dissolve and then remove the "cemented" plugs inside inflamed pores.

Glycolic acid

Glycolic acid - is a natural food product produced from sugar cane. It is one of the best known alpha hydroxyl acids - weak natural, organic acids used in most anti-aging cosmetic creams. Without a doubt, it is among the few cosmetics that are effective in removing dead skin cells from the surface of the stratum corneum without unnecessarily traumatizing the skin. It gives the skin a youthful appearance without damaging it (at least in low concentrations).

Glycolic acid can be called a medical miracle. But even now, its exact mechanism of action remains a mystery. Very limited research has been done on how glycolic acid dissolves plugs that are deep beneath the surface of the skin. The best sources we have suggest that it does so in two ways. Glycolic acid, with its strong antioxidant properties, helps reduce inflammation and swelling. The other (and perhaps more important) characteristic is its ability to activate certain skin enzymes that "dissolve" blocking plugs beneath the surface of the skin, helping to open pores and dissolve the mixture of pus and sebum trapped there.

When buying glycolic acid products, make sure that glycolic acid is the only active ingredient in the cosmetics and has 8% or 10% concentration and does not contain other active ingredients. It is better if the glycolic acid is in a gel rather than a cream and has a pH indication of at least 3.5.

Method of Application:

1. Apply glycolic acid to problem areas the morning after your salicylic acid treatment, using the same application technique as with salicylic acid. Leave it on for a few minutes (3-5 minutes) and then rinse it off with warm water.
2. In the evening, benzoyl peroxide is applied according to the treatment regimen (see step three). However, in case of skin dryness and other unpleasant sensations, it is possible to alternate the application of PB with glycolic acid overnight. Let's say PB on Monday night and glycolic acid on Tuesday.
3. In the morning and evening after washing off cosmetics with glycolic acid, be sure to moisturize your skin. Try to apply moisturizing creams carefully, without touching the very top of the inflammation, where you have already put the medicine or made treatment with glycolic acid. But around the inflammations, you should apply moisturizing creams.
4. If there is a lot of inflammation on the skin, you can do a trial treatment on a small area of skin. Usually after 4-5 days of treatment, the inflammation will decrease and some blackheads will dry up. This is a good sign. It means that the treatment is chosen correctly. But if there is no change, you should take tests and check for mite or coccus infection. This program is used ONLY for the treatment of acne. Continue the treatment for 6 weeks or until your acne disappears.

Step Three. Destruction

This step will be the most difficult in some cases. Remember that inflammation itself is the body's attempt to heal itself. The area around the pores swells and causes nearby pores to "shrink". Therefore, the solution to this problem lies in reducing the inflammation to the point where all the pores "open up," allowing the medicinal substances to get in. Eliminate the disease at its very beginning !

The first two steps of the program will make your skin smooth and remove most of the plugs. However, if you limit your treatment to these two steps only, if even those plugs that have become softened and in many cases removed from your skin, however, still your pores are not completely cleared of infection. Your pores still remain inflamed inside and therefore increased in size. The infected sebum, pus and P. acnes microorganisms hide in the follicular canals, away from the surface of the skin, where they are most dangerous. As long as you don't get to them and clear them out of your pores, your acne can soon come back to life again. This is exactly what happens when using commercial acne treatments. People feel a temporary improvement, but then they find that their skin condition continues to worsen.

The reason the Acne Treatment Program works is because of the additional steps taken after cleansing the surface of the skin with salicylic acid and softening many superficial "pimples" with glycolic acid. This is the third step of the program - introducing a substance called benzoyl peroxide (PB for short) into the regimen. It is found in the composition of special products, for example, basiron. Undoubtedly, PB works better than other antibiotics that are commonly prescribed in killing P. Acnes bacteria. It releases oxygen, and in the presence of oxygen, P. Acnes does not multiply. The effectiveness of PB, unlike antibiotics, is that the bacteria can never acquire immunity to PB. However, even after the skin has been treated with salicylic and glycolic acids, many pores remain closed due to swelling caused by inflammation. Therefore, PB (or any other medication) can sometimes fail to reach the bacteria deep within the pores. The solution to this problem is to use a method that is widely used by plastic surgeons and dermatologists, although it is hardly known among non-professionals. It consists of reducing inflammation and opening the pores by cooling the skin. It may sound too simple and even old-fashioned, but it is the most effective way in which you can prepare your skin for PB. It works!

Benefits of ice

By using ice, we are killing two birds with one stone. The cold effectively opens up inflamed pores where bacteria are hiding, allowing the PB to reach them. It reduces inflammation and swelling around the pores, thereby reducing the likelihood that other pores will close. Since cold reduces inflammation by constricting blood vessels, blood is slower to flow to the skin and swelling is reduced. This begs the question, "If there is less blood flowing to the skin, will blood particles that are designed to fight infection, such as white blood cells, be able to treat your acne?". Fortunately, this is not the case.

Many athletes are known to treat injuries with ice. First, exposure to ice reduces inflammation and swelling resulting from compression of blood vessels. However, the body also has the opposite reaction to cold. It reacts by bringing increased blood to the cooled area to warm it. You may notice this phenomenon when you cool your hands very hard. As soon as you start to warm up after being chilled, your hands will turn red. Fortunately this body's response to cooling is very gradual and does not cause recurrent swelling. Thus, by prescribing the application of ice, doctors not only allow you to reduce swelling and inflammation, but also increase the flow of healing blood.

Similarly, when cooling the face, the blood vessels first constrict, opening the pores and allowing the PB to penetrate them. Then, after a while, the body sends excess blood to the area to warm it up. This happens gradually and prevents the swelling and inflammation from resuming.

Terms of use benzoyl peroxide (PB):

You should do what is described below every night after applying and washing off the salicylic acid.

1. Rub an ice cube on the area of skin you are going to treat. This should be done until it is moisturized and cold to the touch, but be careful not to overdo it to avoid frostbite.
2. Apply the PB (which should be kept in the refrigerator) using the same method as for salicylic and glycolic acid. However, first cool the palm of your hand with an ice cube to avoid heating the PB.
3. Place a small amount of cold cream or lotion containing PB in the palm of your hand, add water or green tea, then apply evenly to the areas of skin where acne marks remain. This is best done with a stick with absorbent cotton on the end. If the concentration of benzoyl peroxide is greater than 2.5%, more water or tea should be added.
4. Immediately after applying the PB to the affected skin area (it should be cold and wet), place an ice pack on it. Leave the ice pack on for about 10 minutes (less is better, especially for couperose prone skin), rest and relax during this time. You can make your own ice using distilled water. You can simply wrap ice cubes in a towel. Take care not to frostbite the skin areas to be treated. The cold sensation should not be unpleasant. If the cold sensation is too strong, place several layers of towel between the ice pack and your skin.
5. After removing the ice, wipe off the excess PB with a soft, dry cloth, and those PB residues retained on the skin will kill bacteria all night.

WARNING After applying PB to the skin, it is advisable not to use creams containing mineral oils, much less apply masks.

Moisturizing work should be done in the morning and evening. After applying PB, try to moisturize only those areas of the skin where PB has not been applied. You may feel a slight tingling sensation after applying PB. But even if you don't, you will definitely feel that the cold has constricted your blood vessels, reducing the swelling that was closing your pores. If the tingling when applying PB is very severe, itching, burning, redness, flaking or skin becomes too dry, you will need to alternate between applying PB and glycolic acid (as an alternative to applying PB alone). For example, one substance (glycolic, for example) on Monday, the other (PB, for example) on Tuesday, etc. However, in this case, the cold treatment procedure must also be carried out when glycolic acid is applied. This is important because applying ice daily reduces inflammation and swelling around your pores.

Take care not to overcool your skin! This is especially true for dehydrated skin. It is better to avoid ice and use chilled compresses.

Skin protection after treatment

The first three steps of the Acne Treatment Program will rid your skin of acne, if not in all, then in most cases, in no more than 6 weeks. The fourth step, which we must begin and continue to do on an ongoing basis, is aimed at restoring and maintaining skin that is healthy, soft, pleasant to look at and resistant to new acne attacks. At a minimum, it involves the daily application of moisturizers. These are best applied after washing the affected area to keep the skin as moisturized as possible. If acne has been bothering you for a long period of time, treatment should begin with moisturizing the skin. The moisturizing process should be continued until your skin looks quite healthy, that is, its appearance should be better than just acne-free skin, it should be beautiful and radiant, without flaking or tightness.

Acne photo

WARNING: Recommendations for the use of various substances, as well as any information on medications and treatments set forth on the site, cannot substitute for the advice of a qualified medical practitioner.