Sure, you want to keep that acne at bay, but avoid going OTT with home remedies

It’s hard to tolerate pimples. They itch, hurt and are an eyesore. But, no matter how much you want them to go away, one must avoid going over the top with home remedies, and not touch the affected area, say experts. Here’s what to remember: Many times acne is caused by internal imbalances, especially with your hormones. Blood tests and ultrasounds can help rule out anything that is causing acne from within. Problems within your gut can also cause acne through a pathway called the gut-skin axis. To stop this, eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, pre and pro-biotics. Also, avoid dairy and high glycemic foods, as they worsen or create hormonal imbalances. Many think that acne is an overproduction of oil and they can scrub it dry with harsh soaps and exfoliators. The truth is that overly-dry skin can make it worse. Acne is an inflammatory process that causes a lot of redness and swelling; the harder you scrub, the more likely you will damage your skin. Also, do not pick at your pimples, this will only result in marks. Stay away from home remedies. Acne takes a long time to treat, 3-6 months to be exact. People get impatient and try home remedies like lemon, toothpaste, or garlic on zits. These things can actually burn your skin! Warm and cold compresses are okay. Otherwise, look into a safe, sulfur-containing spot treatment.

MANY THINK THAT ACNE IS AN OVERPRODUCTION OF OIL AND THEY CAN SCRUB IT DRY WITH HARSH SOAPS AND EXFOLIATORS. THE TRUTH IS THAT OVERLY-DRY SKIN CAN MAKE IT WORSE

Opt in for a good cleanser. It’s important to exfoliate your skin not excessively but 2-3 times a day. If the skin has enough moisture it doesn’t secrete its own oil and hence no breakouts. Moisturise your skin frequently. Your skin needs to be moisturised regularly to keep the outer layer of the skin properly hydrated and leave it feeling soft and supple. If it is raining, try using non-water based moisturiser so if you get wet, it won’t completely wash off. To keep bacteria at bay, wash your hands while doing an application on face. Touching your face, especially the infected area, will spread the bacteria. Tea tree oil is a must-have essential oil. It has astringent properties, and is both anti bacterial and anti-fungal, Hence, perfect for oily skin. IANS (With inputs by experts Shikhee Agrawal and Kiran Lohia)

PHOTO: ISTOCK Touching your face, especially the infected area, will spread bacteria that can cause more acne