Acne is a common problem of teens. Although applied medication to the skin (topical medication) is generally efficient in the treatment, it should be used at least several weeks before a favorable result is appeared. In addition, topical medication has some side effects such as skin irritation, dryness and flaking. When topical medication is insufficient to treat acne, oral medication (taken by the mouth) which has more severe side effects is used. Even high technological methods like laser or blue light may be required to treat some difficult acne cases.

Therefore acne preventing routine is important to avoid all these difficulties and possible acne scarring. This routine is simple but very efficient in acne prevention.

Best prevention starts with a good knowledge. So we must look at acne development in briefly. By the adolescence, androgen hormone level begins to rise which in turn increases skin oil production. If any skin pore (oil duct opening) is plugged by the mixture of excessively produced oil and dirt, oil accumulates behind the block and causes acne. Beside raised hormone level, stress is responsible for increased oil production too.

Here is the acne prevention routine consisting of 7 items. It works even if you suffer from pimples.

1. Acne prone area must be washed with gentle cleanser. Scrubs and masks are avoided since they may irritate the skin. You may wash special area twice a day if it needs, but you have to keep in mind that too much washing may irritate the skin.

2. If cleanser is not enough to remove the oil from the skin sufficiently, you can pass on topical medication containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. They are also used in acne prevention. Dryness, itching and redness may discomfort you. Beginning with a bit and gradually increase the amount is a good way to reduce these side effects.

3. Oily cosmetics, hair spray and acne concealing products may clog the skin pore and may cause acne development. So you should choose water based products instead of oily based products.

4. Heavy makeup worsens acne condition so makeup should be performed lightly. Additionally you should clean your makeup before going to the bed to prevent cosmetics from plugging thin opening of the skin pore.

5. Hands must be kept clean and they must not touch to the face. In resting, probing the face by the hand or any other object may ruin the cleanliness.

6. Oil, sweat and dirt make a good medium for bacteria breeding. That's why you should take a shower after exercises and hard work. Also avoid wearing tight clothing since it traps heat and moisture.

7. It is better to avoid stress in acne prevention. You should not mind acne condition too much. Strictly applied acne preventing routine will resolve the problem anyway.

As a conclusion, this routine is simple and effective in acne prevention. Cleaning the acne prone area regularly, avoiding heavy makeup, and removing the sweat and dirt from the skin are influential methods. This routine will decrease acne size and numbers if it does not preclude acne formation completely.