awesomemc101
doing my skincare atm
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Here, I'm going to hopefully elaborate on essentially every way you can fix acne by yourself or with a doctor. I will attempt to organize it by price/seriousness and explain them in great detail plus provide proof. A lot of these fixes will also improve your overall skin, too.
When reading this, please remember acne is just *internal issues displaying themselves externally* and a lot of the ulterior solutions do not involve skincare. I WILL be mentioning skincare, though.
I've struggled with acne for years and these all helped!
"Free" Fixes
(These are solutions that have low, variable cost or simply cost nothing)
Very, Very Inexpensive Solutions
(Great as supplemental fixes)
Moderately Expensive / First-Step Derm Solutions
(When initial solutions fail and you need heavier hitters)
Very Expensive / Ultra-Serious Solutions
(For very resistant or bad acne)
BS/Fake Solutions
I empathize with anyone struggling with acne and hope you are able to fix it using some of these solutions I listed. Feel free to ask questions or suggest more methods that I might've forgotten!
When reading this, please remember acne is just *internal issues displaying themselves externally* and a lot of the ulterior solutions do not involve skincare. I WILL be mentioning skincare, though.
I've struggled with acne for years and these all helped!
"Free" Fixes
(These are solutions that have low, variable cost or simply cost nothing)
It's pretty well known gut health can cause acne. BTW- you probably have bad gut health. Anyways, dysbiosis causes it in two ways:
A. inflammation as a result of bad bacteria
B. hormonal changes (yk, hormonal imbalances are a lead cause of acne)
I will be expanding on diet in the next spoiler, and that will include an expansive list of foods that can contribute to dysbiosis or
negatively impact your gut microbiome. To attempt fix this without diet, you can buy probiotic supplements, though I recommend combining
those with a healthier diet!
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
A. inflammation as a result of bad bacteria
B. hormonal changes (yk, hormonal imbalances are a lead cause of acne)
I will be expanding on diet in the next spoiler, and that will include an expansive list of foods that can contribute to dysbiosis or
negatively impact your gut microbiome. To attempt fix this without diet, you can buy probiotic supplements, though I recommend combining
those with a healthier diet!
Acne, Microbiome, and Probiotics: The Gut–Skin Axis - PMC
The objective of this narrative review was to check the influence of the human microbiota in the pathogenesis of acne and how the treatment with probiotics as adjuvant or alternative therapy affects the evolution of acne vulgaris. Acne is a chronic ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
No matter what cope people try to tell you, diet is literally one of the most important factors in acne. You should have a well-balanced, nutritious diet. What that means is, you should be eating healthy foods and not be in an extreme caloric deficit.
There's two steps in maximizing diet for acne: cutting out the trigger foods and maximizing macro/micronutrients.
Step 1. These foods & additives include substances that harm gut health or are known to cause acne in a good portion of the population.
Obviously, you should cut out all added sugars, especially corn syrup or highly processed sugars. Alongside that, cut out any artificial sweeteners (these mess up the gut microbiome a bit as they generally cannot be fully metabolized). Generally, you should cut out all processed foods with bioengineered ingredients. You don't need to fall for the "seed oils are bad!!11!" scam. It shouldn't be that hard to know what's healthy and what isn't. This is a readable list:
Step 2: Building a nutritious and healthy diet:
Here's what we need to maximize: complete proteins, fatty acids, and complex carbohydrates.
Complete proteins have all 9 essential amino acids and are found in a lot of natural products like meats, dairy, eggs, etc.
Next, we have to maximize fatty acids. We want to minimize (literally cut out) trans fats in favor of saturated and unsaturated fats. If you're under the age of like 40, saturated fats won't really do much harm. Why do we need good fats?
Tracking micronutrients is important, too. Vitamin A, B6/B12, C, D, E are all critical to skin health.
I highly recommend you do more research on improving your diet, but this should give you a great idea on where to start. Cutting out the bad food is arguably more important than getting good food.
There's two steps in maximizing diet for acne: cutting out the trigger foods and maximizing macro/micronutrients.
Step 1. These foods & additives include substances that harm gut health or are known to cause acne in a good portion of the population.
Obviously, you should cut out all added sugars, especially corn syrup or highly processed sugars. Alongside that, cut out any artificial sweeteners (these mess up the gut microbiome a bit as they generally cannot be fully metabolized). Generally, you should cut out all processed foods with bioengineered ingredients. You don't need to fall for the "seed oils are bad!!11!" scam. It shouldn't be that hard to know what's healthy and what isn't. This is a readable list:
- Excess Sugar (added/processed- fructose with fiber is generally okay)
- Overall Low Fiber Diet - "starves" good gut bacteria and creates a better environment for pathogenic bacteria. ACNE!
- Fried Foods - negatively impacts gut bacteria but also contains VERY HIGH SODIUM, trans fats (very bad), and seed oils can leak industrial chemicals when cooked at high heats (research: thermo-oxidative degradation).
- Preservatives and Emulsifiers
- Artificial Sweeteners - again, negative impact on gut
- Alcohol/Tobacco
- Excess antibiotics
Step 2: Building a nutritious and healthy diet:
Here's what we need to maximize: complete proteins, fatty acids, and complex carbohydrates.
Complete proteins have all 9 essential amino acids and are found in a lot of natural products like meats, dairy, eggs, etc.
- All red meats
- Chicken, Fish
- Eggs
- Milk, Cheese
- Yogurt
- Whey
Next, we have to maximize fatty acids. We want to minimize (literally cut out) trans fats in favor of saturated and unsaturated fats. If you're under the age of like 40, saturated fats won't really do much harm. Why do we need good fats?
- Work with cholesterol to build testosterone
- Improve skin barrier
- Transport A-E vitamins
- Cooking oils
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Dark chocolate
Tracking micronutrients is important, too. Vitamin A, B6/B12, C, D, E are all critical to skin health.
I highly recommend you do more research on improving your diet, but this should give you a great idea on where to start. Cutting out the bad food is arguably more important than getting good food.
While I plan to dive much deeper into certain products, basic skincare is a relatively cheap way to improve your skin. I'll reiterate the fundamental routine you've likely heard 1000 times: wash your face and moisturize. Anything past that is "advanced" and likely to target a specific issue.
DRY/NORMAL SKIN -> You really only need to wash your face in the nighttime. Washing in the morning could cause your skin to become dry throughout the day, making it look unappealing.
OILY SKIN -> Probably want to wash after sleeping as you have more sebum.
When finding a CLEANSER, you want to find a natural, exfoliating cleanser with minimal peculiar additives. Two great brands are Native and Vanicream. Neither use 1000 additives.
When finding a MOISTURIZER, you want to find one that's explicitly labeled as non-comedogenic. This means it won't clog your pores and end up giving you more acne. Be careful here.
Now, here's a very in-depth guide for night-time care:
You should be doing this daily, alongside showering in the mornings and moisturizing.
DRY/NORMAL SKIN -> You really only need to wash your face in the nighttime. Washing in the morning could cause your skin to become dry throughout the day, making it look unappealing.
OILY SKIN -> Probably want to wash after sleeping as you have more sebum.
When finding a CLEANSER, you want to find a natural, exfoliating cleanser with minimal peculiar additives. Two great brands are Native and Vanicream. Neither use 1000 additives.
When finding a MOISTURIZER, you want to find one that's explicitly labeled as non-comedogenic. This means it won't clog your pores and end up giving you more acne. Be careful here.
Now, here's a very in-depth guide for night-time care:
- Wash your hands with soap and water
- Brush teeth BEFORE facial cleansing
- Rub your face with lukewarm water to open pores
- Put your cleanser on your face, rub in for ~20-30 seconds
- Wash the cleanser off completely and dry your face
- Apply moisturizer
- You're done! Maybe refrain from letting your face touch a pillow for 5 minutes as the moisturizer dries!
You should be doing this daily, alongside showering in the mornings and moisturizing.
Sleeping is a NECESSITY for skin health! Try to sleep 8+ hours nightly. I realized that I spent a lot of my time just sitting in bed scrolling tiktok past 9.30 PM and made an effort to just stop and go to bed. It helps.. a lot!
Your razor can accumulate bacteria and dirt as you continuously shave with it. IMO, running water over it for 10 seconds doesn't cut it. I personally bought a ton of medical grade isopropyl alcohol wipes and scrub the surface of my razor with it daily prior to shaving. This helps to remove any bacteria on it. Remember, you're putting that razor right next to your pores. Clean it!
Your hands are generally dirty throughout the day (that's why I explicitly stated to wash your hands prior to the skincare routine) and so you should avoid touching your face with the palms of your hands or your fingers. It's generally a subconscious movement and so you may need to exert a conscious effort to stop at first.
(Great as supplemental fixes)
I can personally attest to this method. Buying a real silk pillowcase can help a little with acne. It's harder to get dirty and overall improves skin. It doesn't rub the oils on your skin as rough/with as much friction as a regular pillowcase does. It's a cheap improvement that I recommend.
www.ecosa.com.au
Are Silk Pillowcases Good for Acne-Prone Skin? | Ecosa Blog
Silk is a natural fibre that does not clog pores – making it healthy for the skin. It’s not the end-all for acne prevention, but it’s the best pillowcase to help prevent and relax facial skin. Think of it as an extra step to your acne-fighting skincare routine.
This is one of the many "step-ups" you can take from the basic aforementioned skincare routine. Buying a salicylic acid cleanser is more effective in treating acne, though it dries the skin much more and may require more moisturizer AND sunscreen.
www.healthline.com
Salicylic Acid for Acne: Benefits, Dosages, and Side Effects
Salicylic acid is widely available and used regularly for reducing acne. Learn about its benefits, proper dosages, use when pregnant, and potential side effects.
www.healthline.com
Moderately Expensive / First-Step Derm Solutions
(When initial solutions fail and you need heavier hitters)
Introducing a daily regimen where you apply a blue/red light lamp or mask to your face has been shown to improve acne for a lot of people. They work by eliminating the bacteria and triggering collagen production/cell turnover. A mask or lamp may run you upwards of $100 and does require anywhere from 5-30 minutes a day of sitting with it on your face.
Higher collagen generally means a nicer skin appearance overall, but it can hasten acne's dissipation and hopefully help to cure it. There are cheap and expensive options in direct collagen and the prices generally reflect their effectivity. I'll rank them by cheapest to most expensive here (I will not be including collagen injections).
skinglowdermatology.com
- Hydrolyzed Collagen (Collagen Powder)
- Bone Broth
- Collagen Shots (shot as in a small bottle of liquid you drink)
What to Expect: Can Collagen Cause or Improve Acne? | Benefits, Results, Side Effects | Acne Scar Treatment - Questions and Answers
Collagen supplements are unlikely to cause acne directly, but the overall formulation and quality of the product you choose can influence how your skin responds. For individuals in NYC dealing with acne and considering collagen supplements, it's crucial to choose high-quality, additive-free...
skinglowdermatology.com
If cleansing doesn't work, the next step a dermatologist will likely take with you is a course of prescription antibiotics. Personally, I recommend you begin supplementing a probiotic at a VERY different time of the day so they don't cancel out. This is just to help your gut microbiome stay in check. If you ask your derm, they'd likely concur as long as you stress that you'll take them at separate times. These antibiotics work by targeting the bacteria that causes acne in an attempt to minimize acne altogether. Works best with other methods. I highly discourage taking these without a prescription due to side effects and measuring effectivity. When you take these, you need to wear sunscreen.
If you fail to see a difference with nightly salicylic acid cleanser, you may want to begin cleansing more often. However, you want to keep the salicylic acid to once a day and invest in a non-exfoliating cleanser. Then, use that other cleanser before/after school/work and after the gym.
This is designed typically for those with very oily skin or those who wear sunscreen or makeup. The first cleanse is intended to remove the layer of dirt or substance on your skin, and the second is intended to exfoliate your skin. Only use a salicylic acid cleanser on the second cleanse, instead opting for a non-exfoliant cleanser on the first.
Very Expensive / Ultra-Serious Solutions
(For very resistant or bad acne)
A new Accutane-mimic surgery called Aviclear was released. It's very expensive, though, (about 4 grand), and is incredibly painful to do. However, it's shown to really improve or even eradicate acne and improve your skin in the process. The laser targets and minimizes pores which puberty hormones enlarged.
Accutane is likely my biggest regret despite me only taking it for like 3 weeks. It causes a multitude of side effects which can really harm your overall looks and hormonal health, and tbh I don't recommend it unless you've extended every other option and failed. I'd literally recommend reaching 18 years of age before trying it as it's not worth messing up puberty. But, it does work well for acne (usually) so it gets a spot here.
I partially do this and it's decent. Basically, cut out every single processed item and eat red/white meats, greek yogurt, eggs, 100% dark chocolate, and organic fruits are your entire diet. Cook everything in olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or tallow. You WILL see your skin shine on this, but it's expensive.
BS/Fake Solutions
Very unlikely to fix acne. Might provide some minerals to your skin but is comedogenic and might just make it worse.
I empathize with anyone struggling with acne and hope you are able to fix it using some of these solutions I listed. Feel free to ask questions or suggest more methods that I might've forgotten!
