Summer is here and if you live anywhere near Tennessee, then you know the temperature has consistently been in the 90’s. For those who sweat a lot in the summer months, you’ll want to be conscious of the effects of the sweat.
While sweat does not cause acne, sometimes there is an increased buildup of bacteria that lays on the skin when we sweat. Don’t be mistaken, that added moisture can be a good thing, because the sweat helps regulate our body’s temperature and helps our bodies with detoxing. I've been getting a lot of questions about acne lately, so let's talk about it.
ALL ACNE IS NOT THE SAME
There are 7 different types of acne and 2 different classifications: Non-inflammatory Acne and Inflammatory Acne.
Non-inflammatory Acne (white-heads or black-heads):
One of the simplest forms to treat. Try using a sulfur-based product unless you have Rosacea. Now, if you think or know that you have Rosacea, I will say – refrain from using sulfur-based products.
May be treated with Mandelic Acid or Salicylic Acid. Salicylic Acid is amazing for darker pigmentation.
Now, if you have non-inflammatory acne, quite honestly, you simply need a basic facial and some extractions. Usually with that type of acne – since it is non-inflammatory – it also means it’s not infectious. The black or white heads can be pulled up and your skin can be trained over time to shed regularly and push any bacteria out.
Inflammatory Acne
If you have cysts, populus, or thicker puss filled acne – that’s when you may need serious treatments (you may need a chemical peel). It then depends on what type of acne you have: bacterial acne, hormonal acne, or fungal acne. These are all factors that affect your treatment.
THE APPEARANCE OF ACNE
For the teens, a lot of their acne will be either bacterial or hormonal. Hormonal bacteria looks (a lot like) “heat bumps” most of the time.
For adults, it’ll happen right along the jaw line, but for teens it will be all over and it will look like what my grandmother used to call a “heat rash.”
SIMPLE STEPS FOR THOSE WITH ACNE
Be proactive – Get your hormones tested.
Prevention costs less than correction, so go get your hormones tested, regardless of your age. If you have acne along your jaw as an adult or if you have what you think is a heat rash that you cannot get rid of, go get your hormones tested and make sure you request they test all 13 hormone levels.
Have a culture done.
If you schedule an appointment with a Dermatologist, request they do a culture – have the Dermatologist look at the acne and make sure what he/she is treating you for – is what you need.
Pay attention to your diet.
Keeping a food diary may help you be aware of times when you have more breakouts or your acne seems more inflamed.
Please feel free to contact us with all of your acne and skin care questions. You may reach us by phone at (615) 884-6744 or by email at estheticsbypbrown@yahoo.com.
Please remember we offer courses once every 3 months – that teach you how to handle issues such as Rosacea, Eczema, and Hyperpigmentation.
Also, check out our events page on our
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As always, we look forward to hearing from you...
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