7th December 2007
You should really see a dermatologist. If for some reason you can't, here are some things that will help at least somewhat.
- Avoid refined sugar and flour. There's evidence that refined, processed foods cause acne, and in any case they're bad for you in other ways.
- Never scrub the affected area - wash GENTLY with a mild soap or detergent, no more than twice a day.
- Use benzoyl peroxide, alpha hydroxy, and salicylic acid (aka beta hydroxy) - all three. They all work in different ways and they work better together than separately. But start one at a time and use them at different times of the day - otherwise it will irritate the skin too much. I had good luck using benzoyl peroxide in the morning, salicyclic acid at night, and an alpha hydroxy lotion during the day.
- Avoid refined sugar and flour. There's evidence that refined, processed foods cause acne, and in any case they're bad for you in other ways.
- Never scrub the affected area - wash GENTLY with a mild soap or detergent, no more than twice a day.
- Use benzoyl peroxide, alpha hydroxy, and salicylic acid (aka beta hydroxy) - all three. They all work in different ways and they work better together than separately. But start one at a time and use them at different times of the day - otherwise it will irritate the skin too much. I had good luck using benzoyl peroxide in the morning, salicyclic acid at night, and an alpha hydroxy lotion during the day.