Know your enemy; Pimples 101.

   It never fails, you are primped and primed for a special occasion when a nasty pulsating red monster emerges right on the tip of your nose. Pimples are an inevitable part of being human. They happen to all of us at some point in life. If you're anything like everyone I know, pimple panic will send you into full scale attack mode. Before you throw everything at it but the kitchen sink, you need to get to know your enemy.

Know Your Enemy:

Your body is covered from top to bottom in hair follicles. Each tiny little follicle has a sebaceous gland at the base. Our sebaceous glands are responsible for lubricating and water-proofing our skin.

You also have bacteria that lives on your skin called Propionibacterium Acnes, or just P. Acnes for short. These little buggers live off of dirt, oil, and debris.

For a pimple to occur you have to have a combination of these elements, or essentially the perfect pimple storm:

1. An excess of oil, dirt, and debris:
 While oil or sebum is essential for healthy skin, an excess of it is a reliable food source for bacteria. Now, add dirt and debris and you have a P. Acnes smorgasbord.

2. P. Acnes:
Bacteria live all around us, and for the most part we can both live in harmony. Unfortunately, bacteria can also be the couch potato of microorganisms. When given a plentiful food source, P. Acnes will plant themselves firmly in your pores and eat and eat and grow and grow, until finally they multiply.

3. Dead skin build-up:
Once the P. Acnes start to grow in your pores, you will experience inflammation; which is the presence of redness, pus, and heat. First you get a white head, but when a white head can't escape through dead skin, it will fester into a full blown cystic pimple.

Plan Your Attack:

1. Target oil, dirt, and debris:
You absolutely cannot fall asleep without washing your face! Throughout the day your skin is exposed to pollution, dirt, makeup, and who knows what else. If you are acne prone or oily, you made need to wash your face twice a day. The bottom line is, the less time these great food sources sit, the less likely bacteria will have the chance to feast.

2. Manage P. Acnes:
If you are having an excess of breakouts, your P. Acnes are out of control! A doctor can prescribe an antibacterial treatment that works best for you.

3. Eradicate dead skin:
We are firm believers in the power of the Clarisonic. Not only will the ultra-sonic technology give you the best cleansing of your life, it will also work to slough your skin on a daily basis. If you need extra exfoliation, a microdermabrasion or a chemical peel might be right for you.


Execute with diligence:

If you can follow these simple steps daily, you will not only reduce current breakouts, but you will manage future breakouts. It is absolutely essential that you remain diligent! If you are suffering from acne, you may need professional help and additional treatments to get it under control. At Nuveau Medical Aesthetics we specialize in acne solutions, we have plenty more tricks up ours sleeves. Call us at 713-526-1220 for a complimentary consultation today!

Now that you know your enemy, go forth and conquer!

-Happy hunting ;)

M