Yes, acne-prone skin is sensitive. There are very few skin issues that are more frustrating than acne. My acne-prone skin has led me to try out remedies to make them go away or at least have them less sensitive.
In this post, I address why your acne-prone skin is sensitive and the various lifestyle choices you can apply to make them less sensitive.
Why is my acne so sensitive?
Your acne can be sensitive due to the body’s reaction to naturally get rid of oils from your skin. This is especially true for inflammatory acne.
Acne on your skin comes about when you have dead skin, oil, and bacteria clogging your hair follicles. Your body will purposefully try to push these out and cause much sensitivity within that area.
When you go ahead and pop your pimple, you undo all the work that your body has done in pushing out the dead skin, bacteria, and oil. You may think that you have assisted your body by removing a little oil.
However, what you do not know is that most of the oil goes back into your skin. This makes the acne worse and more sensitive.
Additionally, your acne-prone skin may become sensitive when you have a blind pimple.
As a lady, you are familiar with this one, especially when you are approaching your periods. Your hormones start acting up with your female hormone declining while your testosterone level is constant.
The hormone fluctuation causes your body to produce more oil than necessary. Naturally, the body tries pushing out these excess oils but it gets confined underneath the skin. The oil has the potential to clog and cause a profound and sensitive cyst.
How to minimize sensitivity on acne-prone skin?
It can be a challenge to deal with sensitive acne-prone skin. There is the fear that you can easily make it worse. The following is a suitable guide in dealing with sensitive acne-prone skin:-
1. Keeping the skin clean for acne treatment
The initial step to take is to ensure that your skin is clean. You do this by washing your skin exactly twice a day. Many recommend that you do this when you wake up and just before going to bed for consistency.
You choose a cleanser with active ingredients to combat acne-prone skin without causing irritation. To do away with the dead skin cells, you can apply an exfoliating cleanser twice a week.
Additionally, avoid cleansers with fragrances as they irritate the skin.
Doctors recommend that the cleanser for acne treatment should contain at least one out of the following four ingredients. These ingredients dry the skin and prevent acne. They include:-
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Salicylic acid
- Adapalene
- Retinol
2. Ensure you moisturize
It is not a fallacy that you should certainly moisturize your skin. The acne treatment serves to dry the skin hence a moisturizer is necessary to keep it hydrated.
What is of most importance is that you select a moisturizer that does not contain any oils. This makes them noncomedogenic to reduce clogging of pores. The moisturizers should have soothing plant extracts.
3. Avoid scrubbing your skin
You can easily be tempted to scrub your face clean when uncomfortable or dirty. It is best to avoid so as you may worsen the irritation on your skin and make it more sensitive.
4. Resist popping your acne
Popping your pimple only extends the healing duration. This means a longer period to endure irritation and sensitivity.
5. Avoid heavy makeup and use sunscreen
Make-up will clog your pores hence it is best to avoid it. You ought to apply spectrum-based sunscreen daily. It is critical, especially when treating acne in reducing sensitivity under the sun.
6. Be patient in seeing treatment results
Acne treatment takes at least 4 weeks to showcase results. You mustn’t give up on your treatment too soon. Do not try a range of products every few days as it only worsens acne.
Conclusion
This post highlights the following:
- Yes, your acne-prone skin is sensitive due to the body’s reaction to naturally get rid of oils from your skin. It clogs up on your follicles and causes sensitivity.
- You should keep your skin clean by washing it exactly twice a day.
- You choose a cleanser with active ingredients to combat acne-prone skin without causing irritation.
- Apply an exfoliating cleanser twice a week to remove dead skin cells.
- Avoid cleansers with fragrances as they irritate the skin.
- Ensure you use an oil-free moisturizer.
- Do not pop your pimple or over exfoliate.
- Avoid using heavy make-up and use spectrum based sunscreen.
- Be patient in viewing treatment results.
