Problematic skin is something people of all ages face. Whether you’re a man, woman or teen, acne does not discriminate. I spoke with our problematic skin specialist Kelly to provide some tips for those who are trying to deal with it.
Basic prevention starts with a daily routine, this includes morning and night, to ensure your skin is getting cleansed properly. Night cleansing is especially important as it allows time for your skin to breathe and naturally purge overnight. Much like a cut or scrape, the problematic areas are going to need to purge excess oils and bacteria causing the acne and inflammation. Be sure to cleanse your skin twice at night; the first cleanse will clean off excess dirt, while the second cleanse will penetrate the skin.
For those with dry skin we find that treatments that tend to be most beneficial include microderm abrasion and lactic acid peels. Microderm abrasion keeps the surface of your skin clear and helps prevent additional clogging in your pores. It also helps with dead skin cells and keeps a better balance of moisture in the skin. Lactic acid peels chemically remove dead cells from the surface of your skin and kills bacteria in congested areas. Cleansing dry skin should be done with a moisture balancing cleanser, while your moisturizing routine should include a balanced and/or deep moisturizer (for very dry skin).
Oily skin calls for similar treatments, including microderm abrasion as well as a clay based detoxifying and balancing mask. When it comes to cleansing oily skin, we recommend a salicylic acid wash and/or a decongestive wash. These will help reduce the oiliness of your skin as well as decrease congestion caused by the oil itself. Moisturizing oily skin is very important because oily skin can get surface dryness that exacerbates the congestion and acne. We recommend an oil free moisturizer for this.
LED light therapy is a great treatment for problematic skin. Blue LED light therapy is antibacterial and cleans our excess oil and kills acne causing bacteria as well. We also have high frequency treatments; this will kill bacteria and it helps to calm inflammation to allow the healing process to move faster. A helpful tip is to clean your cell phone screen frequently and try not to touch your face too much!
Vitamin C serum is good for all types of skin, but especially for problematic skin. It helps acne prone skin by acting as a daily exfoliant (this is because of the citric acid) and balances oils and moisture. The vitamin C serum will also give the skin a healthy, natural glow.
If you’re suffering from problematic skin, call in and schedule a facial with Kelly or Hannah at 925-362-9892. They will be happy to provide personalized feedback to help get your skin where you want it to be!
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