5 Step System To Help Treat & Prevent Acne

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Do You Have Acne Prone Skin?

As a Medical Aesthetician, I deeply empathize with my clients who have acne. If you’ve ever dealt with acne during your teenage years or as an adult, you understand its significant impact on self-esteem.
During my pregnancy, my skin was extremely problematic. I experienced first-hand how this impacted the way I felt about myself and it has truly given me the heart to continue to want to help others! Fast forward a few years later, I chose a career in Medical Aesthetics. It has been immensely rewarding to assist my patients and clients in reaching their skincare goals over the past decade.

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What is Acne & What are the root causes of Acne?

Acne is a common skin condition that occurs when hair follicles become clogged with oil, skin cells, and bacteria. This can lead to pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, and other symptoms. Acne can appear on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders.

Some factors that can trigger acne include: 

• Hormonal changes, such as those during puberty, menstrual periods, pregnancy, or birth control pills 
• Greasy or oily cosmetic and hair products 
• Pressure from sports helmets or equipment, backpacks, tight collars or tight sports uniforms 
• Skin irritants, such as pollution and high humidity 
• Squeezing or picking at blemishes 
• Hard scrubbing of the skin 
• Stress 

*If playing sports or any physical activity, be sure to cleanse the skin and follow proper skincare regimen afterwards. If wearing helmets, those pads need to be cleaned regularly to avoid harboring bacteria, dirt and oil. You can clean them with rubbing alcohol, this will help kill the bacteria and clean the dirt and oil from the padding. If padding can be replaced, it may be good to replace the padding if you feel they arent coming clean.

*Change pillowcase every other day, lay on one side one night and switch the following night. While sleeping, we are sweating, oils and bacteria can also be present so it is important to stay on top of changing the pillowcase often if you are experiencing breakouts or have acne prone skin.

Other Factors to Consider

Dairy

Some studies suggest that dairy can trigger acne. One theory is that the artificial hormones used to treat dairy cows can disrupt your hormones. Another theory is that the growth hormones in milk itself can aggravate acne. Some people may be particularly sensitive to dairy proteins like casein.

Sugar

Refined sugars and high-glycemic foods can cause acne. These foods are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, which can lead to a spike in insulin levels. The excess sugar is then pushed into cells, which can cause acne. 

Wheat

There isn’t enough evidence to show that gluten causes acne, unless you have celiac disease or NCGS. However, wheat does cause inflammation in the body. Acne is an inflammatory condition, so it is something to keep in mind.

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