Find Out How To Get Rid Of Zits

Mostly associated with the teen years of adolescence, as most know, zits or acne can strike at any age following the adolescent years. It is not just a young person's disease. In searching for methods of how to prevent or get rid of zits, a few myths have arisen which need to be dispelled since they have little or no effect regarding the prevention or successful treatment of this disease. Many people have been told that eating too much chocolate can help cause zits, but this has never been proven to be true. Although eating too many sugary or high-fat foods is never a good idea, studies show that no specific food has been proven to cause acne.

Another myth is that poor skin hygiene can be a cause of acne. In point of fact, zits are not caused by dirt or surface oil, but rather by a clogging of skin pores by subcutaneous oil glands. Since many people believe this myth to be the case, they tend to over wash their skin, thereby making their acne worse, drying the skin out and causing flare-ups. It is only necessary to wash the skin twice a day with a gentle soap. Although acne has never been completely understood, it is widely thought that hormonal imbalances and heredity are certainly major factors. The chief catalyst seems to be overactive sebaceous glands which secrete too much oil (sebum), a lubricant that helps retain moisture on the skin.

To begin to get rid of zits you have to understand how they come to be formed in the first place and begin doing those things that will either slow down or halt the process altogether. One of the first things you can do to help slow down the process of the formation of acne is also one of the most difficult for most teenagers, and that entails not popping or squeezing the zit. Not only do you risk infecting the surrounding skin and having it spread, you also risk facial scarring. Fixing your complexion is much easier to deal with when it's not messed up by pock marks.

The best way to treat a new acne pimple is to work at drying up the excess oil contained underneath the follicle. One simple treatment is the use of a non-gel toothpaste on the affected area. Basically you would apply a small dab before you go to bed at night and then wash it off in the morning. The toothpaste works like a sponge and to dry out the affected area and to dislodge any oil that may be stuck in the pore.

Two more treatments to get rid of zits involve using benzoyl peroxide and/or salicylic acid. Benzoyl peroxide is a very common over-the-counter acne treatment product and works by creating an oxygen rich environment within the skin, interrupting the metabolic process of the bacteria trapped in the excess oil pocket beneath the surface of the skin causing the bacteria to die off. This also helps cut down on the inflammation, reducing the redness. Use a five percent, or better yet, a two and one half percent solution of benzoyl peroxide. The smaller the solution of the active ingredient (2 1/2% rather than 5%, using no higher percent than a 10% solution) the better it is as regards skin irritation. It should be applied gently to the skin after cleansing and allowed to dry.

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxyl acid, meaning it is an exfoliate and will help the skin to shed dead skin cells quicker, preventing the dead skin cells from clogging the pores and hence trapping bacteria which then leads to the formation of acne. This treatment, along with the one above, can easily be found over the counter at most pharmacies. Look for salicylic acid that is in a gel form that contains a two percent solution. It goes on smooth and is invisible when it has dried while staying on all day to provide protection against dirt during the day. The best way to apply these two treatments is one after the other. After the benzoyl peroxide has dried, gently apply the salicylic acid.

This procedure should be followed twice each day - once in the morning and again at night before going to bed. Both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid can be irritating to the skin when you first use them. Your skin has to get used to these before you can use them to their fullest extent, so be patient and initially only use benzoyl peroxide and only use it once per day. After a few days increase it to twice each day. Once your skin is used to it start using the salicylic acid gradually. Perform this 'building up' process during the first week.

That's all you need to do. You have now protected your skin from the three main causes of zits, and your skin should begin to clear very quickly -- it is not at all hard to know how to get rid of zits quickly.

There are also more natural ways to treat the onset of acne. To learn about a more natural acne treatment regimen, see the following article Natural Acne Treatment Tips [http://www.squidoo.com/naturalacnetreatmenttips] to obtain more information about how you can treat this condition yourself.

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