Health Watch — A Pleasing Face: Acne
Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about keeping your face looking good. Teens who’ve just gone back to school aren’t as worried of facial aging as they are of acne. Blackheads, whiteheads and pimples make it difficult to face the day.
But Dr. Erin Welch, a dermatologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says you should resist the urge to scrub at acne. That won’t make it go away. In fact, it could make it worse by irritating and inflaming the skin. Acne isn’t caused by having a dirty face. It’s caused by pores that get clogged with dead skin and oil. Instead of scrubbing, wash your face only twice a day, using a wash containing either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. These help slough off dead skin cells and unclog pores. You can get products with these ingredients over-the-counter. If that doesn’t help or if your acne is severe, see a dermatologist for prescription-strength products.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/dermatology to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in dermatology.
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September 2008
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