ChickSpeak

It seems like these agitating nuisances appear at the absolute most inconvenient times, like right before your best friend’s wedding or on the morning of that big presentation you’ve been preparing for at work.

Described as completely and utterly exasperating, these irks have been portrayed in movies and books as laughable, but when your face looks like an epic checkers battle in which the red pieces are claiming victory, it’s anything but funny.

Known by a plethora of names, acne affects over sixty million Americans, twenty million of which will suffer permanent scars. Fortunately, things are looking up: every day, scientists and skin care experts are discovering new ways to both prevent and treat this embarrassing problem. No longer does a girl have to hide her pimples under band aids or pick them into oblivion.

Because zits can be distressing and their somewhat enigmatic treatment is often a complete baffle, here is a guide to acne. Banish those blemishes once and for all!

What Is Acne?

In order to treat acne, one must understand its origin. Acne is caused by overactive sebaceous (oil) glands in the skin. “Sometimes, dead skin cells combine with skin’s natural oil and instead of shedding, they clump together inside of a pore,” explain the renowned dermatologist authors of Write Your Skin a Prescription for Change, Dr. Rodan and Dr. Fields. Hormones stimulate oil production in these glands, providing bacteria with an ideal environment. Once the bacteria gather, the body senses an infection and sends an abundance of red and white blood cells to combat it. “The end result is intense swelling in the form of a pimple,” say Drs. Rodan and Fields.

What can I do?

Before you go to sleep, make sure to cleanse your face and wipe off all make-up. This seems simplistic, but even a whit of leftover foundation or eyeshadow can clog pores, causing surprise pimples in the morning.

Additionally, wipe off your cell phone once a day with an anti-bacteria wipe. Often, we press our phones to the same side of our faces, causing a buildup of make-up and oil in one spot. (Try LCD-safe Celly Smellys cell phone and electronic wipes, which come in three fragrances and are available at f.y.e, WalMart and Toys R Us.)

Changing your pillowcase at least once a week has almost the same effect. Additionally, the abrasive texture of a cotton pillowcase can irritate one’s skin. If this happens to you, try sleeping on a satin pillowcase.

Resist the urge to pick pimples! If you try a gentle squeeze and the blemish’s contents do not budge, leave it alone. According to Paula Begoun, author of Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me and The Original Beauty Bible, “Squeezing hard and picking will create scabs, can cause further inflammation, and will lead to scarring.”

Paula also warns against the myth of toothpaste as an acne cure. She says, “Fluoride could actually be the cause of acne around the mouth so putting more on an impending pimple will do more harm than good.” Pimples around the mouth may be easily taken care of by switching to non-fluoride toothpaste.

The Best Products to Use

To combat whiteheads and blackheads, use an exfoliating face wash. Irene Hatziantoniou from the North Coast Aesthetic Center in Westlake, Ohio says that this removes the excess skin cells that can clog the pores and cause acne to develop.

Harsh cleansers can aggravate the skin; try Belli Pregnancy Acne Clearing Facial Wash. Because it is formulated to prevent pregnancy acne, it uses lactic acid, which is naturally found in the body and is less drying than the more commonly used salicylic acid. Many women, pregnant and non-pregnant alike, have found surprising success with this product.

Another great series of skin care products is the GoClear line, available exclusively at Sephora beginning March 25. For many Chicks, the hyperpigmentation and skin discoloration that can persist long after a blemish has faded is more of a problem than acne itself. This line combats both redness and pimples with an oil-free clarifying am/pm skin cleanser, an intensive acne treatment lotion, and SPF 15 moisturizing sunscreen, which should all be essential parts of a girl’s facial regimen.

Fight Zits Online

A great new resource for Chicks on the Internet is mySkin, a website for unbiased skin care advice. Users can find products that actually work for their skin rather than pursuing aggressive, high cost, sometimes ineffective alternatives by entering info about themselves, such as their age, ethnicity and eye color, and including the different types of hygiene products they use daily. The program then gives skincare recommendations based on science algorithms and real people’s experiences.

While mySkin isn’t open to the public for another few months, ChickSpeak readers can exclusively experience it by clicking Join and using the special invite code chickspeak.

Concealing a Blemish the Easy Way

Dr. Schultz, a New York-based dermatologist and the mastermind behind DermTV, suggests wearing a water-based, oil-free liquid foundation with a green tint to cover unsightly pimples. (Personally, I recommend one like Physicians Formula’s Gentile Cover Concealer Stick, available at drugstores nationwide.)

“Because the two colors [red and green] are opposites on the color wheel, they will cancel each other out,” Dr. Schultz explains. According to him, of the 2,000 acne patients he sees a year, about three-fourths are young women. His website, DermTV, is home to a myriad of other videos with valuable acne-related advice and cover up tactics, such as how to remove acne scars. Check them out here.

While zits can cause discomfort and are often irksome and even bewildering, with the proper treatment, they can be exiled forever.

Maxine Frendel is a writer from New Jersey who sometimes suffers from acne herself. Her one piece of advice: don’t pick! Check out more of Maxine’s writing on her blog, Queen Maxine’s Blog.