Acne care: what should you change first at home?

Acne care starts by breaking the cycle of sebum pooling and pore openings becoming clogged. At home, start by changing four things: gentle cleansing, light moisturizing, keeping your hands off, and sun protection. If red, pus-filled acne keeps coming back or begins to leave marks, it is a good idea to have an examination.

Why does acne keep coming back in the same spot?

Acne goes through stages: sebum production increases, dead skin at the pore opening thickens and blocks the passage, and acne bacteria multiply inside, causing inflammation. Hormonal changes, lack of sleep and stress, oily cosmetics, and the habit of touching your face with your hands all fuel this process. Pores in oily areas tend to clog again once they have been blocked, which is why acne appears to recur in the same spots.

Home acne care and oil control

• Wash your face twice a day with a gentle, well-lathered cleanser, without rubbing.
• Avoid washing many times a day or using toners with a lot of alcohol, since drying out the skin can actually increase sebum.
• Choose moisturizers and sunscreens with low oil content and non-comedogenic formulas.
• Keep your hands off acne, because squeezing it with your fingers or tools can deepen inflammation and leave red marks and pitted scars.
• Clean or change items that often touch your face, such as pillowcases and phone screens, frequently.

Home care helps reduce new breakouts. If painful, red, pus-filled acne keeps appearing, small closed comedones have not gone down for weeks, or marks and pitted scars are starting to form, an examination will determine whether treatments such as medication, extraction, or laser are needed. At our Suwon clinic, our 8-week acne package checks your skin condition every week and adjusts the combination of extraction, laser, and peels.

Acne Extraction in Suwon: Why Shouldn't You Squeeze at Home, and How Should Pimples Be Cleared?

View 8-week acne package details

After acne treatment, redness, dryness, and temporary breakouts may occur; if swelling and pain get progressively worse, please contact the clinic. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, some acne medications cannot be used, so please let us know before your visit.

FAQ

Q. How many times a day should I wash my face for acne care?

A. Twice a day, morning and evening, is the standard. Washing once more when a lot of sweat and oil remain, such as after exercise or wearing makeup, is fine, but washing more often than that can dry the skin and actually increase dead skin and sebum.

Q. Is it okay to use blotting papers often for oil control?

A. Gently pressing blotting paper to remove surface shine is fine. However, rubbing or using many sheets a day irritates the skin, so if your skin is oily, start by switching to a cleanser and moisturizer made for oily skin.

Q. How often should I get acne care at a dermatology clinic?

A. During the treatment phase, it is common to continue extraction, laser, and peels about once a week while watching how the inflammation settles. Once the inflammation has cleared, intervals are widened and you move on to maintenance care, with the number of sessions determined by examination according to the condition of the lesions.