My top tips for treating all the types of acne!
By: Anagha S.
Do you struggle with breakouts, acne, and/or pimples?
Trust me, I think (most) people do.
Whether you’re dealing with them during puberty or adulthood, you probably didn’t know that there are DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACNE!!!
And that can be a game changer.
In this blog post, I share 5 different types of acne that you might be dealing with, and how to treat each type.
If you like skincare blog posts like these and want to be notified when they drop, then subscribe to Ana Health Avenue!
Let’s get into it.
Cystic Acne
Cystic acne, or cysts, are harder, painful blemishes that form deep within the skin. These will eventually heal(thank you body)!
However, these are my least favorite because they can remain there for weeks.
Yeah, weeks.
My best advice to you would be to NOT PICK AT IT. This type of acne is meant to stay under the skin’s surface and if you pick at it, you could be left with a scar for months.
To help, you can apply an acne treatment or if you need a quick fix(big event coming up, for example), then head to your dermatologist for a cortisone injection into the cyst. This will knock it out in a day or less.
Whiteheads
Whiteheads, or closed comedones, are clogged bumps under the skin that aren’t red/sore. Usually, they’re clogged pores under the skin that appear white, clear or flesh colored.
Contrary to common belief, DO NOT go for the usual drying treatments. These harsh acne products will only make the whitehead worse by causing dry skin cell buildup(which only traps the oil in the skin for longer).
Instead, exfoliate.
This type of acne is a sign of clogged pores and dead skin cell buildup, which is something exfoliation will get rid of.
I recommend first using a deep pore cleansing face mask for, well, deep cleaning your pores and removing impurities. Then, exfoliators work to keep the skin clean!
Blackheads
What most people don’t know is that blackheads don’t have dirt or grime in them, but oxidized oil.
Blackheads are open, large pores that contain oxidized oil, which turns it black.
Sadly, there is no “cure” for blackheads: just monthly pore-cleansing facials or (for some more low-maintenance options), salicylic and retinol products to keep your pores clean.
Don’t just pick up any random products though: they have to be well formulated.
Pustules
These are known as your more traditional zits. They are red and inflamed blemishes that contain pus.
They most likely will cause post-breakout red/dark scars if you don’t take care of them properly.
DO NOT TOUCH THESE until you see a whitehead form. I know I sound really dramatic, but sometimes I feel like acne scars are actually harder to get rid of then pimples.
But I digress.
Once a whitehead forms, you can then dry it out with a spot treatment that contains proven antibacterial and antiseptic ingredients like sulfur and zinc oxide.
Papules
Last, but definitely not least, papules. These are red and painful blemishes that don’t reach the skin’s surface. It’s where bacteria has caused inflammation, resulting in an infected blemish.
Rather than drying your skin out trying to get rid of papules, you want to calm it. Since the main source of a papule is inflammation/irritation, you need to calm the papule.
Something that could work is ice compresses or products with ingredients like kaolin clay, green tea and sulfur.
These will all reduce the papule’s inflammation until the whitehead reaches the skin’s surface.
My Last Two Cents
At the end of the day, you are beautiful with or without acne! I just wrote this blog post because I know from experience how much our skin impacts our self-confidence.
And while the world might not necessarily see your breakouts, self-perception is everything. Soooo, I hope this post gave you a guide on how to deal with the types of breakouts you are experiencing!
If you want to see more awesome skincare content show up in your Pinterest feed, then follow the Ana Health Avenue Pinterest page!
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time!-Anagha
P.S. Be sure to check out Ana Health Avenue’s other skincare posts: I think you’ll find them really helpful 🙂