It started about six years ago, when I was living in Indonesia for my studies. I developed severe acne. I am not sure what kind of acne it was, but I do know that it bothered me so much that I could hardly sleep at night. It felt like my facial skin was constantly on fire. As a result, touching my pillow hurt. I was extremely embarrassed as my whole face was red and pimply. I also developed pustules on my back, neck and décolleté. Like I think more people who have acne, I felt ‘dirty’.
Causes of my acne
I was 21 at the time and had had pimples before that, but I had never suffered from them. I remember, when I had just arrived in Indonesia, telling my parents that so many people there had acne. So it almost felt like I had brought it on myself. I think the acne was caused by several reasons; the humid hot and sunny climate, the sweet and greasy cuisine of Yogyakarta, the pollution in the air, wearing a full helmet, AND the popularity of dairy products at the time. I regularly drank a milkshake.
Acne Shame
Eventually, I got so desperate that I walked into the nearest pharmacy and bought liquid coconut oil. This one was especially for facial skin and absolutely could not be eaten. I can’t really remember what else I did about it, but at least this brought some relief. When I returned from Indonesia, I noticed that people were shocked when they saw me again for the first time after six months. You really couldn’t avoid it either. I had become quite used to it myself, and was no longer physically bothered by it. But of course I wanted to get rid of it, so I went to the doctor.
Professional solutions
The first thing I was prescribed was liquid antibiotics, which I could pick up at the pharmacy on prescription to put on my face. And I was referred to a dermatologist. A drug like Roaccutane for acne was highly discouraged by my GP, because it could have so many physical and mental side effects. I was wary of that, so I preferred to try other ways first. At the dermatologist in the hospital, I underwent an examination and was recommended facial treatments.
Follow-up acne treatments
I received a special acne treatment; a deep cleansing that included removing blackheads and pustules and my face underwent a chemical peel. I received this treatment three times. After one such treatment, my skin was fire-red and after a few days it started flaking a lot. So it is not just any treatment. I was then also given camouflaging Lycogel with SPF on, to give my skin extra protection, and make it look showy. 😉 I was also advised to use a cleanser with AHA/BHA, a strong moisturiser and a light high-factor sunscreen (SPF50). Sun can not only worsen acne, but also contribute to scarring. And it obviously causes pigmentation and wrinkles, or worse, skin cancer.
What else I did myself against acne
I reduced my dairy consumption (again) and started paying more attention to my diet again. Of course, I made sure I drank enough water and used the recommended products in the morning and evening. I also bought a satin pillowcase, which I threw in the wash every week.
Perhaps the very best advice I received was from my beautician. She used to suffer a lot from acne herself and advised me to take zinc supplements every day. I am sure this has made a world of difference to me. To this day, I still take it every day. Another thing I do, while cleansing my face, is to count to 60. I still had occasional subcutaneous bumps on my forehead, and with this simple adjustment, I really started to notice a difference. And I can proudly say that although I still have some scars on my cheeks, my skin is acne-free!
Summary
So my advice is, in order:
- See your GP or dermatologist first (of course) and follow their advice.
- Check if what you take in daily needs improvement. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day, and at least every two hours. Maybe you eat a lot of fats and sugars and/or are sensitive to dairy or another ingredient. This is something you feel best yourself.
- Take zinc every day. If necessary, ask your doctor or pharmacist what he recommends.
- Cleanse your face morning and evening for 60 seconds with a good cleansing gel that contains an AHA/BHA, such as an acid.
- Use a light gel-like moisturiser in the morning and evening.
- Every day, use a sunscreen with at least SPF20 with gel texture (sometimes they call it water-based).
- Change your pillowcase more often than you normally do. Or your whole bed, if you suffer from acne on your back. You can buy a satin or silk pillowcase, but I don’t think this is necessary.
- Last-but-not-least; don’t squeeze your pustules and touch your face as little as possible!!! If you are someone who unconsciously touches your face a lot, at least wash your hands and nails regularly. If you still want your pimples squeezed out, visit a dermatologist or beautician.
Disclaimer
I deliberately did not mention product names because this may suit each person differently, I am not a specialist, and besides, I do not want this to become a commercial post. Remember that acne is painful not only physically, but also mentally. Do you have acne? Know that so many people have had acne at some point, it does not mean you are dirty, but can be a signal from your body that you need to improve something somewhere. Want to learn more about skincare? Start with this video from Hyram, for example.
I would love to hear if you are going to try any of these things and what the results are! Also, please feel free to talk about your insecurities regarding having acne. It can have such an impact on how you feel! Do you have other tips on how you got rid of acne? Let us know too, it might help one of us!
Love, Max.