Tips for Managing Acne and Breakouts

Acne and breakouts are one of the most frustrating skincare concerns, and one that more and more Australian adults are struggling with. Once only associated with teen years and puberty, acne is following more and more people into adulthood.

While there are no definite answers as to why, we can only assume that changes in diet, hormones and stressful lifestyles have something to answer for. At Bella’s, we treat clients of all ages with acne concerns from mild, to quite severe. Acne prone skin is not just the occasional spot, we’re talking oily skin, large pores and red, inflamed pimples, and it’s no fun for anyone.

So, if you’re battling with blemishes, we’ve put together a hit list of our best advice to help you achieve beautiful, clear skin.

• See a specialist (at Bella’s of course!)
  Your first port of all with any major skincare concern should always be a skincare specialist. They will assess your skin properly and look for any underlying issues or major causes. Then they’ll work with you to curate a treatment plan to achieve your skin goals. This will include treatments and home care plus suggested lifestyle and dietary changes.
• Don’t pick
  This is easier said than done but think of all the things your hands touch during the day. Keys, phone, car doors, money…do you really want all of that bacteria on your face? Didn’t think so. We know it can be tricky, but you can do it – leave those spots alone!
• Clear skin from the inside out
  Take a step back and reassess your diet. While poor old chocolate gets a bad rap for being the cause of a breakout, it’s certainly not helping. A diet high in fat, sugar and salt will rear its ugly head in the form of oiliness and pimples so start introducing clean, nutritious meals and watch your skin glow. Some skin-friendly food choices include blueberries, fish, leafy greens, whole grains, tomatoes and carrots – these are all great for reducing inflammation.
• Get on top of scarring early
  One of our favourite skin treatments for acne scarring is Dermapen. Requiring virtually no downtime, Dermapen is a microneedling treatment that promotes natural healing of the skin. It is one of the safest and most effective skin needling systems and we see some excellent client results. You can read more about it here.
• Turn back the clock
  Retinol is a game changer when it comes to clearing acne. While commonly associated with anti-aging, this ingredient prompts rapid cell turnover, meaning those pesky pimples that won’t dry up, stand no chance when retinol gets involved. We love Medik8’s r-Retinoate which is 8x stronger than regular retinol and is even suitable for sensitive skin.
• Exfoliation
  Clearing out the pores is key to treating acne and exfoliation is one of the best ways to achieve clear, bright skin. A chemical exfoliant will work wonders for breaking down dirt and oil and is much gentler on the skin than a harsh physical scrub. Beta cleanse by Medik8 includes the four most important ingredients for blemish prone skin: Salicylic Acid and L-Mandelic Acid to exfoliate, while soothing Niacinamide and Tea Tree oil treat inflammation.
• Sort your skin care
  A solid skin care regime will accelerate your in-salon treatments tenfold so it’s important that you are using the right products at home. The team at Bella’s will prescribe a homecare regime containing products that are suitable for your skin type, complement your treatments and help get breakouts under control. One of our favourites is the Medik8 Blemish Starter Kit which contains everything you need.
• Get stress under control
  Last but certainly not least is the biggest causes of inflammation in the body at the moment, stress. Our hectic, fast paced lifestyles are wreaking havoc on our bodies, increasing cortisol levels which inevitably show up in the skin. Set some time aside each day to relax and really allow your body and mind to chill out. Maybe it’s time to take up yoga or meditation, or even just prioritizing a gentle walk on the beach or some technology-free time with the kids. Whatever you need to do, listen to your body and allow it time to rest and regenerate.