Another concern I have about all of the medications and products being sold to help treat acne is that some of these things are pretty harsh on the skin. That can actually do more damage and can be really destructive. That’s not a good thing and could make acne worse. Plus, it could lead to permanent skin damage.

Did you know that water can affect your acne outbreaks? Dead skin cells, as you know, are one of the things that can clog your pores and cause these outbreaks. But if you don’t keep yourself hydrated, you could end up not begin able to flush away those dead cells effectively so they end up being left behind to clog your pores and lead to pimples. That’s a good reason to grab that bottle of water!

During at least the first three months on birth control pills, you do experience some side effects. I know I did! For starters, I gained about 25 pounds and also had some pretty significant mood changes. That’s to be expected because hormones do affect your mood. But the bigger threat is blood clots and that’s something harder to deal with and their risk doesn’t usually go away after just a few months. That’s one of the main reasons I wouldn’t recommend using them for acne treatments.

It seems like many birth control pills on the market today are really hyping the acne treatment aspect of their use. I just don’t know if that’s such a good idea. I mean it is probably true that the estrogen and progesterone in those pills can do great things for a woman’s skin but the pills do have side effects. I’m not sure it would be my recommendation for my daughter.

Have you ever woken up in the morning with something incredibly important to do and saw a huge zit on your face? Why do these things happen? Did you do something dreadful in a past life? There are some ways to reduce the risk of this happen but you have to know what they are.

Thankfully, most of us only suffer from acne vulgaris and typical whiteheads, blackheads, papules, and pustules. These can be a pain but they are nowhere near as horrible or as challenging to treat as the more severe forms. You can find good quality acne treatments over-the-counter that will do the trick.

Another acne solution is dermabrasion which involves a rotating wire brush that peels away your skin. Most people need some type of anesthetic because it does hurt and your skin is red and swollen for several days afterward. Even then, your skin will be very sensitive for at least one to two weeks while the new skin layers grow. Plus, you could get an infection that could lead to health problems far worse than acne.

Chemical peels are also a treatment sometimes used for acne. If you’ve never heard of them, glycolic acid, carbolic acid, or other types of acid are applied to your skin. The acids create a “wound” as WebMD so sweetly describes layers of your skin being destroyed. Then when the skin heals in a couple of weeks it should have less acne. Seems like a lot of trouble and discomfort to me.

In some cases, acne can become so severe that you might need to see a dermatologist to clear it up. But once that’s done, you still need to find a good skin routine and stick to it if you want to prevent future outbreaks. That’s the key to having beautiful skin: taking care of it.