Copyright 2006 A J Hunter

For those people who suffer from acne (and that is probably most of the population) it is important to follow some sort of regime in order to keep the condition in check. The following advice should form the basis for a daily routine and can quite easily be labelled 'The Acne Sufferers Bible' as it should become more a way of life than a treatment. However, in keeping with anything of a medical nature it is strongly advisable to consult with your doctor before embarking upon any form of proprietary medicine as you can cause further damage if using medications not suited to your particular skin type.

1. Wash your face gently both morning and evening with a mild cleanser making sure to cover the whole face from your hairline to under the jawline making sure all areas showing signs of the condition are treated (you should also wash after doing any heavy exercise). Your doctor can advise you of the correct type of cleanser that will be compatible with your skin type. Try to avoid using strong soaps or scrubbing the skin too harshly as this may worsen the condition. Astringents are not recommended unless your skin happens to be very oily but even then should only be used on the oily areas.

2. Try to avoid touching and rubbing the skin particularly where there are pimples or spots. There is a common tendency to squeeze and pop the spots in an attempt to make the eruptions less obvious but there is a very real danger of causing blemishes or scars as a result so this temptation should be avoided at all costs.

3. Men can sometimes have problems with shaving as a result of heavy blotching and spots so it is really a case of trial and error to find which form of razor (safety or electric) is the most comfortable. Particular care must be taken when using a safety razor, as it is undesirable to nick spots and pimples so a sharp razor and good shaving cream to ensure softening of the beard is the order of the day.

4. Many of the topical medicines used in the treatment of acne can make your skin more prone to sunburn. This can appear to be beneficial in that a darker skin hue can help make the blemishes less obvious. However, benefits such as these are only temporary and excessive sun exposure is known to have risks such as more rapid skin aging and the very prevalent risk of developing skin cancer.

5. For women it may be necessary to change some of the cosmetics you use daily ensuring that any foundations, blushes, eye shadow or moisturisers are oil free. It is best to look for products labelled noncomedogenic as these do not promote the formation of closed pores that cause the formation of spots and pimples. Even using these particular products some women may find their condition worsening. Additionally, it may be difficult to apply foundations during the first few weeks of treatment as the skin may become red or scaly, particularly with the use of topical tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide.