How to get rid of acne, from medicinal to natural

How to remove acne

Acne is a skin problem that is quite common to anyone, regardless of age and gender. This non-contagious skin disease is actually not classified as severe if treated immediately. What are the ways to get rid of acne?

Most people will probably try acne medications that are not prescribed by a doctor. If it doesn't get better after a few weeks, you are advised to consult a doctor.

Apart from treating acne, consulting your doctor can also help you avoid acne scars and other skin problems. Not only that, the doctor will also provide some advice in treating skin with acne.

The choice of how to get rid of acne that the doctor recommends will depend on three things, namely:

• age,
• types of acne, and
• the severity of acne.

After being given treatment from a doctor, you may also be able to do other ways to get rid of acne, ranging from natural ingredients to acne skin care.

When should I see a doctor?

Severe acne that doesn't go away can certainly lead to stress and insecurity. Especially when all the acne remedies and natural remedies to get rid of acne have been tried.

If you experience the signs below, you should consult your doctor regarding your acne problem.

• Ordinary acne medication doesn't work.
• Acne infection that is inflamed and looks red.
• Many acne scars on the face.
• The cause of acne is the consumption of drugs.
• Feeling depressed and insecure due to acne.

Over-the-counter acne medication

Before consulting a doctor, the most common way to get rid of acne is to use over-the-counter drugs. There are many types of over-the-counter medications for mild to moderate acne.

These drugs are available in various forms, ranging from lotions, gels, cleansing soaps, to creams.

Before buying acne medication, it's good to recognize the active ingredients in it. This aims to see if the active compound matches your skin type.

Here are some active ingredients that are often included in acne remedies.

• Benzoyl peroxide: kills acne-causing bacteria and removes dead skin cells.
• Azelaic acid: help overcome skin hyperpigmentation due to blackheads.
• Salicylic acid: prevents clogged pores.
• Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA): removes dead skin cells and reduces inflammation in the skin.
• Dapsone: helps treat inflamed pimples, such as papules and nodules.
• Sulfur: remove dead skin cells and help reduce the production of excess sebum (oil).

Prescription acne medication

If the use of over-the-counter acne medications doesn't work, you should consult a doctor.

After the physical examination is carried out and the diagnosis results come out, the doctor will provide a number of drug options to treat acne, namely as follows.

Topical medication

One type of drug that the doctor will prescribe as a way to get rid of stubborn acne is a topical medication. Topical medications, such as creams, gels, and cleansing soaps, are applied directly to the skin.

Unlike the over-the-counter drugs, the topical drugs that doctors prescribe to treat acne tend to have high doses. Examples are as follows.

• Retinoids (Vitamin A derivative): keeps pores clean and reduces sebum production.
• Antibiotics + benzoyl peroxide: fight acne-causing bacteria and remove dead skin cells.
• Antibiotics + retinoids: help remove blackheads, good whiteheads as well as blackheads.

Drinking medicine

Not only ointments and creams, your doctor may also prescribe oral medication to get rid of acne. This is so that these active compounds can kill bacteria from the skin or regulate the hormones that cause acne.

Keep in mind that oral medications are only available by prescription and are given on a symptom basis. There are several types of drugs that doctors may offer as acne removers, namely:

• Antibiotics for acne: treat in the deepest layers of the skin, such as nodules and cystic acne.
• Contraceptive drugs (birth control pills): helps balance androgen hormones.
• Isotretinoin: treat severe acne by reducing oil production and eradicating acne-causing bacteria.

Medication to get rid of acne usually will show results after being used for several weeks. Therefore, consult a doctor regularly and do not give up quickly with treatment.

Natural ingredients to disguise acne

Apart from medications, such as creams and antibiotics, you can also speed up the recovery process by using natural ingredients.

Some of the ingredients below are considered popular natural acne remedies because they are easy to use and more affordable.

Tea tree oil

One of the natural ingredients that are often used to get rid of acne is tea tree oil or tea tree oil.

Tea tree oil known for a long time as a natural acne remedy because the antibacterial properties in it can kill acne-causing bacteria. This is evidenced by research from The Australasian Journal of Dermatology .

In this study showed that skin with mild to moderate acne appeared to improve after applying tea tree oil. In fact, no serious side effects appear after use tea tree oil .

Even so, further research is still needed to determine whether tea tree oil can be used to treat other types of acne.

Aloe vera gel

Another natural way is with the help of aloe vera gel for acne. Aloe vera gel has been shown to help fight bacteria, reduce inflammation, and promote wound healing.

According to research published in Indian Journal of Dermatology , the content of lupeol, salicylic acid, urea nitrogen, and phenol in aloe vera inhibits acne-causing bacteria.

Aloe vera gel can also be applied to the skin without any mixture or together with other acne medications. Even so, you should consult your doctor before you include aloe vera in acne treatment.

Honey

Did you know that it turns out that honey for acne can be very beneficial for you? Honey, especially the type of manuka honey, contains antioxidants that can relieve the inflammatory process of acne.

In addition, honey can help clean pore-clogging dirt and keep skin moisturized. What's more, the antimicrobial properties in honey are quite useful in accelerating the healing process of acne.

Lemon

Some of you may have often used lemon to treat acne, especially acne on the chest. The acid content in lemon is considered effective in treating acne because it can clean dirt in the pores.

You can use lemon for acne by rubbing the yellow fruit on the affected area after cutting it in half. If you have sensitive skin, it's best to cut the lemon into small pieces and use sparingly.

Baking soda

Not only used for making cakes, baking soda can also be used as a way to get rid of acne. Baking soda has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can absorb oil on the skin and promote healing.

However, using baking soda on your skin can cause irritation and redness, which can dry out your skin. Therefore, after rinsing the skin that has been smeared with baking soda, always use a moisturizer so that skin moisture is maintained.

Other natural ingredients

In fact, there are many other natural ingredients that are used to get rid of acne, such as:

• coconut oil,
• tomato,
• cucumber,
• green tea bags,
• cinnamon, and
• egg whites.

Always consult a doctor before you use natural ingredients as acne removers.

Acne skin care

Medicines and natural ingredients are often used in ways to get rid of acne which are considered quite effective. However, both of them will not work when they are not supported by adequate skin care.

By paying attention to the habits in treating acne prone skin, of course it can prevent the formation of new pimples and speed up the recovery process. Here are things you can do when treating acne prone skin.

Face mask

In order to get rid of acne more effectively, combine medication with external treatments, such as face masks.

In the following, there are various choices of masks for acne that might be suitable for you.

• Sulfur mask: opens clogged pores and reduces inflammation.
• Bentonite mask: helps suppress oil production and reduces the risk of acne infections.
• Turmeric and honey mask: helps soothe inflamed skin and reduces redness.
• Yogurt mask: helps break down dead skin cells that clog pores.

Please note that you must use the product according to the directions on the packaging. Face masks should not be left on for too long or use them too frequently than recommended.

Toner

Toner is one of the acne skin treatments that should not be missed. The reason is, toner helps clean the remaining makeup and dirt that may not be lifted after washing your face.

Using a toner also helps remove excess oil, residual sebum, and dead skin cells that stick to it. These three factors are indeed the cause of the appearance of pimples on the skin.

Even so, using toner alone cannot be used as the only way to get rid of acne. You still need to use acne medication to prevent acne from reappearing in the future.

Compress pimples

Ice Cube

Compress acne with ice cubes is not an effective way to get rid of acne. However, this method is powerful enough to get rid of pimples. This is because the cold ice helps reduce redness, swelling, and pain.

This method is also suitable for treating large cystic (stone) acne. You can compress pimples by following the steps below.

• Wrap the ice cubes in a soft cloth or some paper towels.
• Hold the cloth against the inflamed skin for 20 to 30 seconds.
• Repeat several times a day, especially when the pimples are swollen.
• Make sure not to press too hard, as this can injure the pimple.

Warm water

Compressing pimples, especially cystic acne, with a warm towel can relieve pain and help open pores. That way, the blackheads that are the forerunners of acne will come out easier.

How to compress acne:

• Soak a towel in warm water and wring it out until the water does not drip.
• Make sure facial skin is clean.
• Place the cloth on the acne area for 5 - 15 minutes.
• Do this three to four times a day until the pimples drain the pus.

Maintain healthy skin

Both facial masks, using toner, and compressing are a series of treatments for the skin to maintain skin health.

Here are some ways you can do to prevent acne from getting worse and help get rid of this skin problem.

Use a soap that cleanses the skin

There are many special acne soaps on the market or require a prescription from a doctor. One type of soap that is claimed to help get rid of acne is amoorea soap.

The natural ingredients in Amoorea soap are believed to make skin smoother, brighter, and free from acne. Here are some of the natural ingredients in amoorea soap.

• Licorice extract because it shows anti-inflammatory properties that are good for the body
• Freshwater microalgae extract is said to help protect the skin from ultraviolet rays
• Heilmoor clay can improve blood circulation to remove dead skin cells
• Tea tree oil has similar properties to benzoyl peroxide

Shower immediately after sweating

The first thing that needs to be done as a way to maintain healthy skin in order to help overcome acne problems is to take a shower immediately after doing activities.

The water and soap used in the shower can lift oil, sweat, and moisture sunscreen mixed with dust which can cause an infection of the pores.

Always try to use a bath soap that contains salicylic acid, which can reduce inflammation and lift dirt in your pores.

Avoid using too much acne medication

Some people who can't wait to see the results of acne medication sometimes use various types of drugs. Instead of getting better quickly, this method of getting rid of acne actually causes irritation of the skin and increases the growth of acne.

If various chemicals from various acne medicinal products are mixed together, acne can get worse. In fact, even when the skin recovers, it can experience acne scars.

Not often scrub skin

Scrubbing the skin with a scrub, especially on the face, is actually recommended if the skin doesn't have acne problems. However, acne-prone skin and scrubbing will actually cause irritation because the skin's layer will thin out.

We recommend that you wash your face and skin with a soap that does not contain chemicals. Also make sure the cleansing soap used is pH balanced to reduce inflammation on the face.

Don't squeeze pimples

Squeezing pimples, including picking and popping them, does cause satisfaction in itself. Unfortunately, this bad habit that makes a pimply face triggers the appearance of acne scars.

Always make sure your hands are washed when you touch a pimple or apply acne cream or medication.

Treatment options to get rid of acne

If medicines from your doctor and natural remedies can't get rid of the acne on your skin, your doctor will usually recommend a variety of treatment options. This choice of therapy will later be carried out in conjunction with the use of drugs.

Light therapy

Phototherapy or light therapy has been shown to help with stubborn acne. Even so, further studies are still needed to determine the ideal method and dosage.

Chemical peel

With the help of applying chemical fluids, such as salicylic acid and retinoic acid, this method is powerful enough to get rid of mild acne. Chemical peel also helps improve the appearance of the skin. However, the benefits were not long lasting.

Acne extraction

Removing blackheads with acne extraction can indeed be a good first step in treating acne.

Acne extraction is usually done with a special tool to remove pimples and blackheads that have not been healed with topical drugs.

Steroid injections

How to get rid of acne can also be done by injecting steroids that are done by a doctor. These steroid injections are usually quite effective in treating nodular and cystic acne as they reduce the frequent pain.

If you have further questions, consult your doctor immediately to get the right treatment.