There’s nothing like the immense stress of going back to school to end a perfectly good summer. One of the first places that realizes it’s stressed is your skin, especially in teens and young adults. And when your skin is broken out due to stress, it only adds to the anxiety because now your brain is worried about a new school year AND acne on the first day. Although back to school is here, there are some things you can do now for rapid skin repair.
- Go to the Dermatologist
Much like you go to a doctor when your body is sick, when there’s something wrong with your skin you should go to see a dermatologist. There are six different types of acne and only a specialist will know which treatments is best for your specific problems. Often a prescribed facial product is required to solve your acne problem and these can only be given out by a dermatologist. It’s also a good idea to have your skin checked regularly.
- Avoid over-the-counter (OTC) acne treatments
Because OTC acne treatments aren’t prescribed, the active ingredients in them, like benzoyl peroxide, are not potent enough to cause any real change in your acne. Often these attempts treat a broad spectrum of acne instead of the actual root cause. Patients often wait too long thinking their OTC products are going to work, which can leave acne basically untreated.
- Boost natural healing
You can help fight acne in ways that don’t just involve facial cleansers and chemicals as well. Certain foods that are heavy in carbs or sugar feed yeast on the face where bacteria grow. Dairy is another food that can contribute to an acne-prone face. Cutting these down in your daily diet can essentially starve the harmful yeast, making it unable to produce acne. Foods like fruits, vegetables, and foods rich in omega-3s help your skin to stay healthy to fight off bacteria. Another tip is to avoid any product that uses ingredients like petroleum or mineral oil, which can further a breakout.
- Relax
It’s certainly much easier said than done, but teaching yourself to relax under duress can vastly improve your life and your skin. Take a break if necessary and always take care of your mental health. Practicing breathing exercises can calm the brain down, which sends out messages to the body to calm down as well. Other activities like making lists of things that need to get done can help solidify a problem, which makes it easier to solve instead of it being a stressful unknown.
With these tips, you can minimize your worries and focus on important things like learning. Making grades and doing homework are enough to drive you crazy, so don’t let acne be another stressor in your life when it’s so readily treatable.
Dermatology Associates offers a full spectrum of leading edge medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology services from offices in Savannah and Vidalia.
