If you’re desperately looking for a way to get rid of your acne, know that you’re not alone. Nearly 85% of people ages 12 to 24 suffer with acne at some point in their lives, according to Brown University Health Education.
While there is a large range of proven medical-grade acne treatment products available, many people scramble to trending home acne remedies try to find a solution that works for them. While these remedies may be cheaper than proven products, they can be a huge waste of time, or worse, can severely damage your skin. Here are 5 of the most horrific home acne remedy treatments, just in time for Halloween. Hopefully we’ll scare you away from these.
TOOTHPASTE
While toothpaste can cause pimples to dry out, it hasn’t been found to be any more effective than conventional treatments, according to The Huffington Post. When you see that your pimples are drying out, what’s really happening is that the toothpaste is irritating your skin. This can lead to over-drying and even burning. After all, toothpaste is made for your teeth. Your skin is much more sensitive than your pearly whites.
TANNING UNDER THE SUN
It’s not a surprise that tanning became an acne-curing myth. Tan skin does create the illusion that the sun improves your skin. When the skin around your pimples gets tan, your pimples are harder to see. But tanning without protection is one of the worst things you can do for your skin.
Most types of skin cancer are directly caused by exposure to sunlight, according to American Cancer Society. Sun exposure also causes your skin to age faster, resulting in wrinkles and sunspots. It can even make acne worse, according to YouBeauty. Find out more about how the sun affects your skin here.
POPPING YOUR PIMPLES
You’ve got a big party to go to, but you’ve also got a big pimple in the middle of your face. Should you pop it? The answer is, NO! Though popping your pimple may make it look better for the time being, the damages could stay with you for a lifetime. Picking at your pimples will cause them to get worse, introduce infection or, even worse, cause scarring. It’s not worth it.
AVOIDING OILY FOOD
One of the most famous acne myths out there is that oily and greasy food can cause acne. But in reality, it can’t. Oil from greasy foods does not make its way to your pores. It just runs through your body like everything else. While oily foods have found to have little to no effect on acne, other food, like empty carbs and dairy, have been found to cause breakouts.
USING MORE PRODUCTS
Acne products can take a while to show results. If you start using a new product and don’t see your acne clearing up within a few days, don’t add another product to the mix right away. That can make things worse. Using too many acne products can irritate your skin or even cancel out the effects of the other products you are using. Instead of self-medicating with more products, see a skin care professional who will help you choose the right products for your skin.
As you can see, choosing to self-medicate with unproven treatments can make your skin a lot worse than before. If you suffer with acne, the best thing you can do to save time and frustration is visit a skin care treatment center, like the True Skin Care Center. We can help you get rid of your acne as quickly and efficiently as possible!