Prevent Acne

We have all heard that prevention is the best medicine and this idea holds true even for people who are plagued with acne. This simple approach is wonderful in concept, but the difficulty lies in finding out how to prevent acne. What steps do we take to keep from finding those annoying blemishes from appearing when we can’t take medication?

My sister has been having horrendous breakouts lately. Her adult acne is so bad that her entire face is covered in blemishes. The marks on her face lead her to consult her doctor about the possible causes of acne as well as ways to prevent acne breakouts in the future. I watched my niece while my sister went to her appointment, hoping that there was a solution to her problem.

When my sister arrived home, she looked wide-eyed and a little pale. She said that the doctor told her that the cause of acne in her case was bacteria. Unfortunately, she said that there was no way to treat the bacterial infection right now even though a simple antibiotic could prevent acne in this case. This didn’t make sense to me at first, then my sister added, “With me being pregnant and all.”

This good news wasn’t dampened a bit by the inability to prevent acne breakouts but it did pose a challenge. The doctor suggested that my sister stay away from harsh soaps, especially antibacterial soaps. This came as a big surprise because one would think that an antibacterial soap would prevent acne that was caused by bacteria. It turns out that the opposite is true.

When we use harsh soaps that kill bacteria, we often make ourselves vulnerable to pimples because we kill good bacteria that battle the bad. Yes, there is a war going on and our skin is at stake. The doctor suggested that my sister’s best approach to prevent acne would be to use a very gentle cleanser and to only cleanse twice a day. My sister was washing her face every chance she got.

It has only been two weeks since her visit to the doctor. My sister’s complexion is not crystal clear and it probably won’t be until she is able to treat the acne with medication. However, she is able to prevent acne from getting the best of her. She uses a gentle cleanser twice a day and she thinks about her new baby. A little adult acne is such a small price to pay.