There are different types of spots, and causes of them.
Today I thought I'd try and help those who suffer with spots, and how to keep them at bay.
I know how spots can make you feel, and how they affect your confidence and self esteem.
Causes
Spots can be caused by lots of different things. Having spots does not mean you are dirty or unhygienic. (Unless you never cleanse your face or have showers!).
Below are some of the main causes of spots:
- Hormones (time of the month, pregnancy, stress, feeling emotional, etc) If you suffer from spots around your chin and jawline, they are hormonal.
- Diet (not eating enough fruit & veg, too much processed food, too many carbohydrates). Spots on the cheeks are a sign that your diet hasn't been at its best.
- Drinking (too much alcohol/caffeine, too much sugary drinks, not drinking enough water). These spots are found on the forehead. If I have a few drinks, I will always break out on my forehead or between my eyebrows.
- Medication (some medication have a high amount of androgens, which are male hormones. This can lead to an over production of oil from the sebaceous glands, causing spots and acne. This is why acne is more common in men. Women who suffer from polycystic ovaries also have a higher amount of androgens in their system, and are more likely to suffer with acne and spots.)
- Using the wrong products (face wipes, over exfoliating, using foaming cleaners, using astringent alcohol toners, using moisturisers containing mineral oil and silicones.)
Don't:
- Don't pick and squeeze at spots if you don't know what type of spot it is.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol and eating too much sugar.
- Smoke.
- Use the wrong products!
Do:
- Eat well - your skin is a reflection of what's going on inside your body.
- Cleanse properly (using a milk, oil or balm and a warm facecloth. No foaming facewashes or daily scrubs!)
- Use products containing acids; Salicylic, lactic, glycolic acid. All brilliant for spots.
- Have a good skincare routine and be consistent with it (morning and night).
Types of spots
- Whitehead - this is the easiest spot to deal with, they have a very noticeable white 'head'. This is the only type of spot I would squeeze, as your skin is offering the gunk/sebum up to you. These are commonly formed overnight, and can be from using a very heavy night cream, sweating in your sleep, or a heavy night of booze/greasy food. I always get these after drinking, on my forehead. These are normally not sore, so cleanse your face as normal, and your facecloth should take care of it. If not, hold the warm facecloth over the spot for a minute or so, then using clean hands and a clean tissue, squeeze gently, and it should easily come away. Tone and moisturise as normal.
- Blackhead - Not really a spot, but can make you feel self conscious. These are generally genetic, so if your parents suffer from them, you more than likely will too. They are very common around the nose. There is no safe way of removing blackheads yourself, it can cause scarring if you try, so it's best to get them professionally removed. Some salons/spas/skin clinics do this. Do some research and specifically ask them when you call "do you do blackhead extractions?" - not a lot of places do this, so ensure they actually know what they're doing before you go, some places are terrible at extractions.
- Pimple/pastule - small, red with no head. Leave it alone, cleanse, tone and moisturise as normal. It will normally go away on it's own, or decide to grow.
- Large pimple/pustule - this one is sore, angry and red, with no head. Do not pick or squeeze it, it'll make it worse, and most probably bleed. Again, leave it alone, cleanse, tone and moisturise as normal, and it'll go away on its own. Yes, moisturise the spot too.
- Cyst - large, red, deep, painful and angry, with no head. Really painful. These don't really look like a spot, just an angry, red lump. Picking, squeezing etc will not help and will cause scarring, and will really hurt. With cysts, you need to take a look at your diet, and may need to consider asking your GP to see a dermatologist.*
*In general, most GP's are not the best people to ask about skin issues. They tend to just give you antibiotics, without asking about your skincare routine and what you are actually using on your face. (I was given a roll on stick which smelt really strong - which just dried out my skin but didn't really do much for my spots. I suspect it was very high in alcohol - not good. Or they will prescribe you oral tablets like roaccutane, which completely dries out the skin and makes it very thin and flaky, and also has side effects such as depression). Go to a dermatologist, they specialise in skin. Ask to be referred to one. If you have a problem down below, you see a gynaecologist, and for hormones/diseases you see an endocrinologist. See a dermatologist, it's their job, it's what they do!
A sidenote/rant
Most of the time, people try to 'dry out' the spot. They don't need drying out, they need hydration. Lots of people seem to apply toothpaste to their spots, or sudocrem. Toothpaste will just dry out the skin around the spot, as well as the spot itself, this will almost make it look like it's on a pedestal and will take longer to heal. Sudocrem is best used for it's main purpose = on babies bums for nappy rash, to seal off outside particles. It will initially take down any redness, but it contains paraffin, so it will just coat/suffocate the spot without letting it 'breathe' and heal. See my serums/face oils post here for more information on paraffin/mineral oil.
Why are people so obsessed with using things like baby products, or products made for backsides, on their faces? If they worked so well, then there would be no such thing as facial skincare products, and spas and salons would use them in their facials. I've even heard of people using haemorrhoid cream under their eyes as an eye cream.
Have you ever seen a spa advertising a facial in which they use baby oil, sudocrem, toothpaste, haemorrhoid cream etc?? No, so please stop using them on your face! You are not a baby, and your face is not your backside.
