ACNE

Question 1 : I am 18 years old and have had acne for 2 years now. Currently, I have a few blackheads on my nose and forehead. I see a lot of acne creams on the market. Doctor, can you tell me which cream I should use to get rid of acne?

Reply:

I had acne during puberty, my acne was mild and could be cured with just a few applications. Currently, there are many acne creams on the market, sold in supermarkets, pharmacies, and even on Facebook. You need to ask your doctor if these creams are as effective as advertised.

Many people of the same age as you go to the doctor, sit at home surfing the internet, listen to this person and that person recommend good acne treatment creams and buy them to use, but many people lose money and get sick, luckily you haven't bought any to use on your face. Doctors jokingly say that this phenomenon is caused by Google. According to me, you should not arbitrarily buy and treat acne, you should go to see a dermatologist for the best examination, consultation and treatment.

Question 2 : I am 17 years old and have been cured of acne for half a year now. Doctor, please tell me what I should eat and live to prevent acne from recurring. Thank you, doctor.

Reply:

Thank you for your great question. Diet and lifestyle are very important in acne. Many people do not pay attention to diet and lifestyle, so acne becomes more and more serious.

- about diet:

You should limit sweets and fats such as chocolate, milk, ice cream, soft drinks, candy, and cakes. Limit spicy foods such as chili and pepper. Do not use stimulants such as alcohol, beer, cigarettes, or coffee. Limit eating sweet fruits such as mango, durian, etc. Limit fried and grilled foods with a lot of oil.

You should drink enough water (2l/day) and eat lots of vegetables and low-sugar fruits like oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits.

- about lifestyle:

You should not stay up late, limit stress, anxiety and insomnia.

You should exercise regularly every day.

- skin care:

You should clean your face, limit the use of cosmetics, and do not buy acne creams on the market to apply. Respect the skin structure and do not squeeze, cut, or pick at acne. If your acne relapses, you should see a doctor immediately.

Question 3 : I am using acne cream bought at a grocery store near my house. I have been using it for 2 weeks and my acne has reduced, but today my skin is red, itchy and sore. I hope the doctor can advise me whether I should continue using it and how to get rid of it.

Reply:

You should stop using the cream you are applying and see a dermatologist. If you want to use acne cream, you must consult your doctor or get a prescription before buying it. You should not buy cream and apply it on your own. Currently, there are many creams on the market that contain corticosteroids, which are strong anti-inflammatory substances. At first, your skin will be clear of acne, white and smooth, but then the acne will return in droves, your skin will be red and itchy, your skin will become dark and very weak. If you continue to use it, treating acne caused by applying creams containing corticosteroids will be very difficult and take a long time, and your skin may not return to normal.

Question 4 : I have treated my acne with a dermatologist and it has gone away but it is still dark so I went to a spa to exfoliate my face to make it whiter. At first my skin was very bright and beautiful but recently I see that my skin is darker and sometimes my skin is itchy. I don't dare go out because my skin is very bad. I hope you can give me some advice, I am very confused.

Reply:

Currently, there are many spas without dermatologists that apply chemical peeling to make the skin brighter and smoother. In fact, this method is to peel off the top layer of dead skin cells to reveal the smooth, young cells underneath, but these are weak cells that are easily affected by sunlight and the surrounding environment, so the skin is only bright and smooth at first, then quickly becomes dull and may be accompanied by itching and redness.

Now your skin is in a very weak state after peeling. You should not wear makeup, limit the use of strange cosmetics on your face, limit going out in the sun during peak hours from 12pm to 2pm. You should apply sunscreen spf50 or higher 30 minutes before going out in the sun and repeat every 2 hours if you are still in the sun, wear a wide-brimmed hat, and wear a mask. The above measures only help your skin to be less dark but cannot cure it completely. It is best for you to go to a dermatologist for examination and treatment right away. I wish you a speedy recovery and regain your confidence.

Question 5 : I am 20 years old this year, I am currently a student, I am taking acne medication, my skin is very dry, my lips are dry and peeling, moreover, I have been treated for more than a month now, the acne has subsided a lot but the acne is still not completely gone, I am so impatient, I hope the doctor can advise me, do I need to change to see another doctor?

Reply:

Don't be too impatient, the more you worry and stress, the more severe your acne will be. Rest assured that you will be treated with your dermatologist. Acne is usually treated and re-examined continuously for 3-6 months. You have only been treated for 1 month and you cannot be cured immediately. Be patient, all doctors want their patients to recover quickly. If you have any questions, you should discuss them directly with your doctor. Don't stop taking your medication or change doctors on your own.

If you take acne medication and your skin is dry and your lips are dry and peeling, this is a side effect of the acne medication. You can apply moisturizer to your lips 2-3 times a day, drink plenty of water and avoid taking hot baths. You will feel better. I wish you a speedy recovery.

Question 6 : I have had cystic acne for many years. Half a year ago, I went to a beauty salon to have my acne treated and it got much better, but after the treatment, I saw dark spots and pitted scars all over my face. Now, my dark spots and acne are gone, but the pitted scars have not gone away. I heard from the beauty salon that after a while, the scars will push up to the skin and the pitted scars will disappear, but after half a year, my skin is still the same. Doctor, can you tell me if there is any way to treat the pitted scars?

Reply:

You are treating acne by popping it is the wrong method, the acne is in the inflammatory stage and you pop it, of course the acne will subside faster but the consequence is permanent scars. Not to mention the tools used to pop acne can cause infection with hepatitis B, HIV, tetanus, staphylococcal dermatitis, even very dangerous blood infection... I also advise you to treat acne with a dermatologist, many people go to spas and beauty salons without dermatologists so they give random advice and do many harmful measures for the skin.

Currently on the market to treat pitted scars, there are methods such as needle rolling, filler injection, fractional laser co2 machine _... depending on each type of pitted scar, the bottom of the scar, age, and accompanying diseases of the patient, the dermatologist will choose different methods accordingly. Currently, the clinic applies the above methods, you can come to the clinic and the doctor will advise you on treatment. However, the above methods only make shallow scars less aesthetically pleasing, but cannot completely cure them. Don't be sad, this is a lesson for me anyway.