No one loves having acne.

One of my worst fears is waking up in the morning and looking in the mirror only to find out that there are tiny bumps on my face.

As much as we hate this, sadly, everyone has acne at some point in their lives.

Acne comes in different forms; nodules, whiteheads, blackheads, etc. But one thing that is common with all types of acne is that it destroys our facial look.

One thing is sure: You cannot have acne and act like it’s not there. Something has to be done about it. But you have to be careful not to do the wrong thing to avoid making things worse.

So, in this week’s article, I have compiled a list of things that you should never do if you have acne. I repeat; NEVER DO!

Let’s begin.

1. Don’t pick at your skin

I feel like I need to scream this out loud. DO NOT PINCH OR SQUEEZE ACNE.

It is normal that when you notice a tiny bump on your face, the next impulsive thing to do is touch it. You start picking at it or pinching it.

All these only worsen the acne.

In fact, the only time you are allowed to touch the acne is when you want to apply an anti-acne treatment. Apart from that, keep your hands away.

Picking at your skin will lead to scarring, and extend the time it takes the pimple to heal.

2. Piling layers of makeup on your face

“If I cover the acne with makeup, no one will notice.”

That is what we tell ourselves every time. True, no one will notice… but your face is getting worse by the minute.

You are forgetting that the main cause of acne in the first place is the buildup of dirt, oil, dust and, makeup residue in your skin pores.

Applying a ton of makeup, especially foundation, concealer, etc., to conceal the acne can lead to more blocked skin pores and eventually, more breakouts.

If you must apply makeup, make it very little.

Better still, stay away from makeup for the mean time and give your skin the space to breathe!

3. Over-scrubbing and over-cleansing your skin

Aunty, calm down!

No amount of scrubbing or cleansing will make the acne disappear overnight, neither will it make the acne heal faster.

In fact, it does the exact opposite.

When you scrub too hard, it can cause skin irritations and worsen skin inflammation. You might experience burns, stings or redness of the skin.

Do not try to over-cleanse your skin too. It wouldn’t help your skin.

You probably might think there is nothing called over-cleansing, but there is.

It is good to keep your face clean, but if you wash your face or use a cleanser more than twice or at most, thrice daily, you are overdoing it.

Washing your skin too much makes it extra dry and it can further irritate your skin.

4. Unseriousness with your acne treatment

You need to take your acne treatment seriously.

You should be consistent with your treatment. Giving gaps in the routine only prolongs the healing period.

If you know you have a busy day, set a reminder. And no matter how tired you are at night, do not go to bed without applying your anti-acne treatment.

Also, stick to one product.

You might begin with one and it seems like it’s not working, that doesn’t mean you have to move from one product to another.

It might take weeks before you start seeing changes. Be patient. Change does not happen in a day!

Follow the treatment instructions diligently and understand how it should be used, to avoid complicating things.

5. Self-medication

Most of us are guilty of this.

Instead of visiting a dermatologist or a skin care specialist, you go to the drug store and buy the product that you feel might work.

And luckily for you, it just might work. But what if it doesn’t, especially after using it for a long time?

It’s better to see a dermatologist if you need something to use for your acne.

The longer you wait, the longer it takes for the acne to heal. After seeing an expert, you will know what caused your acne, why it is taking that long to heal, the best way to treat it, what to do, and what to stay away from.

6. Feel less beautiful

I understand that acne can be emotionally traumatizing and more often than not, it kills one’s self-esteem.

But first, you need to understand that it is normal to feel that way, but that doesn’t mean you should let acne rule your life. Go out, have fun, do other things that make you happy, and feel better about yourself.

Acne or not, you are beautiful. Never forget that.

7. Not following a skin care routine

You can easily prevent acne if you strictly follow a skincare routine.

This entails that you cleanse your face, use a toner, moisturize, apply an eye cream, apply an anti-acne treatment, etc. All these you should do daily.

And twice or thrice weekly, you need to exfoliate and treat yourself to a facial steam.

To know all that there is to know about skincare routine, read this BeauCrest article: 7 Things to Include in Your Skincare Regimen

In conclusion,

Acne is one of the countless bumps we experience on our skincare journey, and if you take the right actions to treat it, it will just be another story you tell.

Try to avoid the things I listed above, and soon, your skin will be glowing. And when that happens, do not forget to share your experience with me.

What other things do you avoid whenever you have acne breakouts? Let’s continue the discussion in the comments.