Have you ever gone to bed with a clear face and woken up the next morning with pimples? It’s frustrating that pimple outbreaks can appear overnight but take days to disappear. According to dermatologist Professor Rodney Sinclair, a pimple can take 4 to 5 days to fully form and then take another 4 to 5 days to disappear. Here are Professor Sinclair’s tips on how to avoid getting a pimple and the best ways to treat pimples.
How to avoid getting a pimple
Have you ever been told that washing your make up brushes and changing your pillow cases daily will help you avoid getting pimples? You can save your time because Professor Sinclair says that pimples aren’t really a hygiene issue but the result of bacteria deep in the skin pores. To ensure your pores won’t get clogged, he suggests using water-based makeup instead of oil-based makeup.
The best way to clean your face
Have you ever got a pimple and just wanted to wash and scrub it away? According to Professor Sinclair, this reaction is typical, but not helpful. Over vigorous cleaning with soap can dry your skin out, making the pimple worse. He suggests that washing your face with water is sufficient. If you have oily skin a Benzoyl peroxide wash can be effective. It is important to note if you use Benzoyl peroxide that it can bleach towels and clothing.
Will long term medication like the contraceptive pill affect my pimples and acne?
Professor Sinclair notes that, “When it comes to contraceptive pills, some make acne worse and some make it better. So if you’re on one making it worse, it will generally take 2 to 3 months for your skin to get better.”
It’s important to note that if you stop taking a contraceptive pill that has improved your skin, the skin will get worse in 2 to 3 months.
How to get rid of a pimple quickly
Remember being told to never pop a pimple? Forget this advice because according to Professor Sinclair, “The quickest way is to allow it to form a pustule, or a yellow head, then popping it. I don’t think anyone will tolerate a yellow head on their face, I think that’s quite reasonable to want to pop it.” You want to get rid of acne.
However, once you’ve popped the pimple, it’s important to stop squeezing it once you see blood. If you keep squeezing, the pimple healing process becomes lengthier.
What if you’ve woken up with a big yellow-headed pimple and it’s your wedding day? Professor Sinclair advises that prescription cortisone cream will calm it down. But be warned, because the next day it will come back even bigger.
The best ways to soothe an aggressive outbreak of pimples
Professor Sinclair advises that once your face has broken out, you can only try to hide it with water based cosmetics. Once you’ve camouflaged the breakout, it’s important to put steps in place to avoid another. “Most of the other treatments are medium to long term and are more about preventing the next pimples coming through, rather than getting rid of ones already there.”
According to Professor Sinclair, antiseptics are effective and personally favours using Benzac wash over stronger concentrations that can damage the skin. Before bedtime, Professor Sinclair advises against using tea-tree oil or toothpaste on pimples as this can make them worse. To help dry your pimples up before bedtime an antibiotic lotion can be effective.
Prescription acne treatments
For women who get pimple and acne flare-ups before their period, hormonal treatments can be useful, including the contraceptive pill. Roaccutane is another prescription acne treatment belonging to the retinoid group of medicines. Similar to Vitamin A, retinoids reduce the amount of oil in the glands, reduce inflammation and bacteria and open clogged pores. We can help you with prescription acne treatments, contact us here
Non-prescription acne treatments
Kleresca LED treatment is a breakthrough BioPhotonic treatment that can improve your acne. This treatment uses a high intensity lamp with a photoconverter gel, which kills the bacteria in the skin and starts the healing process. Find out how Kleresca can help you by calling us on (03) 9654 2426.
Get the best pimple and acne treatments in Melbourne
Pimple and acne flare-ups are frustrating and distressing. Book a consultation with one of our specialist dermatologists here.
Image copyright: maridav / 123RF Stock Photo