How to Stop Stress-Induced Acne for Good
Have you ever noticed that acne breakouts seem to always come at the worst times? Like when you’re preparing for a big interview or meeting, or even when you’re simply feeling overworked and overwhelmed? That’s because stress can trigger a variety of chemical responses within your body, which may cause breakouts. Then, if you nervously pick at your skin when you’re under a lot of pressure, you could exacerbate the problem by contributing to acne scarring.
So how can you reduce stress-related acne and get your clear, smooth complexion back? Follow these five simple tips.
1. Reduce Stress
First things first, addressing the problem head-on by identifying sources of stress and taking some steps to minimize their effects can help to eliminate stress-induced breakouts (American Academy of Dermatology). For some people, building some “quiet time” into their daily schedules can help to rein in stress. This may mean taking a walk around the block, meditating, listening to soothing music, or other similar activities that allow you to take a break from stressful triggers and focus on yourself, even if only for a few minutes each day.
2. Cleanse and Exfoliate
Now that you’ve addressed the elephant in the room, it’s time to work on regaining your smooth, clear skin. While cleansing should be a staple in everyone’s skin care routine, it’s especially important for those dealing with adult acne. This step sweeps away any dirt, oil, makeup, and other debris that may be trapped inside your pores and contributing to your breakouts.
Next, exfoliating the skin can help to remove the dead skin cells and dirt clogging your pores and keeping skin care products from effectively penetrating the skin and reaching the active, underlying layers. There are professional exfoliation treatments available, such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels. Talk with your dermatologist to help you determine if these options might be appropriate for you.
3. Use the Right Spot Treatment
Regularly using a spot treatment specifically designed to target and dry out acne can help you to get your clear skin back. The most common active ingredients used in these types of products are salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, but you may want to discuss your options with your dermatologist before adding an acne treatment to your daily routine (The Dermatology Review).
4. Be Patient
One of the biggest reasons many men and women struggle with adult acne is that they don’t give their treatments enough time to work and give up on them much too soon (The Dermatologist). The truth is that acne isn’t going to disappear overnight, but that doesn’t mean that your cleansing routine and spot treatments aren’t working. Give your skin a few weeks to respond to treatment before talking to your dermatologist about possible alternative options.
In the same vein, even after your skin has cleared up, your dermatologist may recommend that you continue using an acne cleanser or other similar product to help prevent future breakouts.
5. Consider Laser Skin Resurfacing
In some cases, professional laser treatment may be the most effective solution to acne and acne scars. Forever Young BBL, for instance, uses broadband light to reduce redness and discoloration while also stimulating collagen production and skin cell turnover. The result is smoother, clearer, and more even skin tone and texture.
Laser treatments can also be very effective at minimizing or eliminating the appearance of acne scars, sun spots, and other blemishes.
The Bottom Line
While some amount of acute stress is normal, chronic stress can wreak havoc on your body and your skin. Once you’ve taken some steps towards reducing unhealthy levels of stress and promoting a calmer, more relaxed lifestyle, you should be able to effectively restore your clear complexion by following the few simple tips outlined above.
For more severe or persistent cases of adult acne, laser treatments like Forever Young BBL may be the best options to consider. We offer laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels at Acqua Blu Medical Spa in Pittsburgh and Wexford, performed by trained and highly skilled professionals.
If you’d like more information about these procedures, or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at (724) 933-1800 and take the next step toward getting the healthy-looking skin you want.
