How to Get Rid of Acne Spots

Acne is a broad term used to describe many different types of blemishes that occur on the skin. Blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, pustules and cysts are all types of acne that can occur almost anywhere on your body. When most people use the term spot, they are referring to pimples, or zits.

What are Acne Spots?

Spots, pimples or zits are what occur when a blocked pore in the skin becomes inflamed. They can be caused by infection, irritation or over-production of oil by the skin, and result in a bump on the skin that is usually red, painful and often contains pus.

The inflammation in the skin that causes acne spots is due to pores in the skin being blocked. When a pore is blocked, oil, dirt and debris become trapped within the skin. Also, bacteria living on the skin can also become trapped in the pore where it will increase in numbers. At this point an inflammation will occur, causing an immune response by the body, leading to pus formation and tenderness at the site of the pimple. Although most people find pimples unbecoming, picking or trying to pop them is one of the worst things you can do when trying to get rid of them.

Tips on Ridding Yourself of Acne Spots

Stopping pimples from forming, or stopping their growth in the early stages of development, is one of the best ways of ridding yourself of acne spots. Listed below are a number of tips to help you reduce the appearance of any acne spots you do have, and even stop them from re-occurring in the future:

• Clean your face regularly – Keeping your skin clean will help stop pores from becoming blocked. Also, you should clean your face prior to applying any acne fighting products.

• Do not rub or irritate your skin – When washing and drying your skin, do so gently to reduce irritation. Avoiding using a wash cloth and patting your skin dry will result in less chance of your skin becoming inflamed.

• Use spot treatments – There are plenty of acne spot treatments available that can be applied directly to the infected area. Do not over apply as these treatments are often stronger than other acne products so can actually inflame the skin.

• Use anti-acne concealer – If you wear makeup, use a concealer that contains acne fighting medication. This type of concealer should only be applied to infected areas of the skin. Remember to remove all makeup at the end of the day.

• Reduce swelling using an ice pack – If you already have a pimple, you can reduce the swelling by applying an ice pack directly to the affected area of the skin. The ice pack should be held to the pimple for two to three minutes every 20 minutes for an hour, or three times in one hour. While this will not cure the pimple, it will make it look a lot smaller while you are waiting for your acne medication to get rid of it.

• Drink water – Keeping yourself hydrated can help reduce the chance of pimples forming. Water flushes toxins from the body and also keeps the skin smoother, suppler and healthier. Healthy skin means that there is less chance of blocked pores forming.

• Do not pick your acne spots – While popping your spots will be very tempting, this should not be done as it can actually force the infection further into your skin causing the pimple to become that much worse. Also, as more skin is damaged, there is a greater chance of a scar forming at the site of the spot.