Choose a Proactive Acne Treatment

Treatment and control are two words you often hear about acne. But when it comes to treatment and control, what works? Take your pick of drug stores and you'll find a smorgasbord of different products you can use to "clear acne in 72 hours."

Dubious claims. Sometimes these over-the-counter and prescribed treatments make acne worse or cause symptoms that make a face or back full of pimples look like a walk in the park!

So let's talk about proactive acne treatment. Many teens and adults alike believe this is a must in clearing up acne for the long-term. And what being proactive means is that you take charge of your own health and lifestyle and know what to do, and what not to do.

For instance, no matter how "ready" a white-headed pimple looks, you probably shouldn't pop it, though some controversy exists on this subject. And in contrast with what the majority of people do, you should gently pat dry your face. Washing and drying your face as if the cloth were a chainsaw will exacerbate your acne.

Purchasing acne treatment products and medications may seem like the first step you can take to achieve your goal of having clear skin. But sadly, easy solutions and chemicals rarely work for many people. And no matter what a drug ad says, acne treatments alone will not help you win the battle against acne.

For ultimate success, you must have an over-all lifestyle change.

That means you have to change your diet. Oil is the number one cause of acne. It's this very oil you need to avoid. So clearly eating hamburgers and junk food will not help you get rid of acne. On the contrary, oily foods are like fuel to acne.

The oil in greasy hamburgers will sustain the sebaceous oil glands, allowing them to continually pump oil to your face.

There are natural oils that help nourish the skin, such as omega fats from avocados and Carlson's fish oil. Eating plenty of greens daily will also make a substantial difference.

Effective acne treatment is an inside-out process.

So if you get rid of all of the garbage inside, it will show up on the outside; conversely, if the inside is filled with bad oils and processed foods, it will reflect on your skin.