Beauty Tips For Body Care
Been there, done that. Salicylic acid and tea tree oil didn't work? Tired of using ivory soap on your face? Ex left you for people with better skin? Fear no more, for retinoids are here!On a serious note :---THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS SUCH! I AM NOT A DOCTOR NOR DERMATOLOGIST, JUST SOMEONE REALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN SKINCARE---Chapter 1 :Exfoliating / Antibiotics / Antibacterials / Retinoids- Basic principlesThink of your skin as being built out of bricks(your cells) glued together. These cells are constantly shedding and being replaced, maintaining your body's largest organ and defense barrier, the skin. When it's time for the topmost layer of the skin to be replaced, the skin cuts this chain of cells off in a process known as desquamation, think of it as scraping the clay holding these bricks together off and letting them go. During this process, microscopic flakes of skin and skin cells can get trapped in sebaceous glands/pores/hair follicles, creating clogs of oil and dead cells that make the perfect feeding and breeding ground for acne-causing bacteria to grow in. Your body then recognizes this as an attack from outside pathogens and white blood cells rush to the infection site in order to kill this bacteria. The mix of white blood cells, some bacteria here and there, dead skin cells and sebum constitutes the pimple pus we all know and hate. These inflammatory lesions are treated in different ways, the most popular of which either target the organisms causing it or the environment they grow in.Treatment course 1 - Chemical/Physical exfoliationPhysical exfoliation is usually what you'd call scrubs,electric/mechanic brushes,exfoliating towels, apricots, basically everything you "rub" on your skin in order to scrape off its top layer. Personally i hate every form of physical exfoliation except dermaplaning. Dermaplaning is the usage of a very sharp razor taking off the very top layer off the skin(and hairs!) at a 45 degree angle. ONLY GET DERMAPLANING DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL! YOUR SKIN AND ITS BARRIER ARE NO JOKE! p.s try to avoid physical exfoliation :')Chemical exfoliation uses different compounds such as AHA-s , BHA-s, enzymes and others in order to "dissolve" the top layer of skin or cells as well as accelerate desquamation.Acne and how exfoliation helps:Different types of acne usually start out as something called microcomedones, pore clogs in the skin so small it's almost/totally invisible to the naked eye. When your skin sheds itself and produces oil to maintain itself, these clogs grow larger eventually falling into contact with acne-causing bacteria,causing the inflammatory lesions. Exfoliation helps prevent and break down these clogs, reducing environmental growth potential for said bacteria.Most commonly used chemical exfoliators:Alpha-Hydroxyacids(AHA):Lactic acid, Glycolic acid, Mandelic acid , Malic acid, Tartaric acid and more.Beta-Hydroxyacids(BHA):Salicylic acid(the exfoliator you know and love!) , LipohydroxyacidsMost common side effects:Dryness,Redness,Itchiness/Irritation,Wrecked skin barrier(DON'T OVEREXFOLIATE! IN SKINCARE,MOST OF THE TIME , LESS IS MORE!),Sensitization(long term) and more.Treatment course 2 - Antibiotic nukes and their use along with exfoliators or retinoids.Antibiotics are compounds that fight the bacteria rather than the environment they grow in. They do this by either attacking their cell walls and destroying the bacteria or by coating them in order to inhibit their reproduction, making it easier for your immune system to get rid of them.Commonly used antibiotics for acne:Erythromycin, Clindamycin, Oral Doxycycline, MinocyclineUsing antibiotics for prolonged periods of time without combined treatments may cause antibiotic resistance, reducing or nullifying effectiveness on skin concerns. To avoid this, they're usually paired with other anti-bacterials such as benzoyl peroxide in order to nuke the bacteria and avoid resistance. Who said genocide couldn't be fun?Resistance may also be avoided by restricting how long an antibiotic treatment course lasts.Antibiotics and retinoids are the most commonly paired and effective treatment for acne. Regulating the skin and at the same time attacking what would attack it. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.Side effects : Irritation (most likely from the formulation the antibiotic is in, not the antibiotic itself), Allergic reaction ,Exacerbation of lesions due to adverse reactions, antibiotic resistance**Treatment course 3 - Anti-bacterials , how they attack acne-causing bacteria and their use along with exfoliators or retinoids.**THE most commonly used anti-bacterial is benzoyl peroxide. It's cheap, it's effective, bacteria can't get resistant to it. Amazing! Paired with exfoliators or retinoids it gives acne-causing bacteria a really hard time if any time at all living on your skin. Benzoyl peroxide works by peeling off some of your skin and also delivering oxygen to the bacterial growth environment. Most acne-causing bacteria can't thrive in an oxygen-rich environment. Think of it as creating your own gas chambers! Your 9th grade self would be proud.Side effects : Benzoyl peroxide is known to be drying and sometimes irritating to sensitive skin. Use carefully.The cherry on the cake and what your insecure soul has been waiting for all this time, Retinoids!Retinoids are compounds that target a certain group of receptors on the skin called RAR-s(Retinoic Acid Receptors), signaling the skin to accelerate its turnover cycle. Accelerating the skin turnover in turn reduces overall pore clogs and environment for acne-causing bacteria to thrive in while also increasing collagen production(This time, it actually works! It's not one of those marketing gimmicks over a beauty drink or collagen cream. You literally age backwards.. sort of.)Retinoids are either natural(retinoic acid derivatives) or synthetic(compounds made to specifically target retinoic acid receptors on your skin. Retinoic acid derivatives (Tretinoin(retinoic acid), Retinol,Retinyl Acetate , Retinyl Palmitate etc.) are converted to retinoic acid in your skin, then activating RARs in your skin cells, accelerating the turnover cycle. Synthetic compounds directly bind to the RARs, activating them and doing the same.Retinol,Retinyl Acetate,Retinyl Palmitate : Just don't even bother! You deserve so much better than this.Differin/Adapalene , your go-to entry-level retinoid for those bumps that just won't go away!No insurance? Tired of getting ripped to shreds by pharmaceutical companies and derm products that just don't work? Differin is most likely your first retinoid! FDA approved as an effective acne treatment and finally obtainable OTC(Over-The-Counter) at concentration of 0.1% , no prescription required in the U.S. , differin is waiting for you at your local Target/CVS/Walmart. Differin is based on adapalene(synthetic retinoid), a napthoic acid derivative that binds to RAR-s and modulates cellular differentiation. Studies show differin to be as effective as 0.025% Tretinoin.Reference : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8494820_Adapalene_a_review_of_its_use_in_the_treatment_of_acne_vulgarisTretinoin, the hidden cure-it-all your derm and local skincare influencer wannabe won't stop screaming about!Honestly ,it's worth all its hype. Acne? Wrinkles? Psoriasis? Lost elasticity? Scar appearance? Hyperpigmentation? Blackheads? Whiteheads? Closed Comedones? It helps!While adapalene(differin) only binds to certain RARs in your skin, tretinoin binds to all of them. Tretinoin is about 4x as effective as adapalene in a mathematical sense. Modulating cellular differentiation and accelerating skin turnover, it helps prevent clogged pores thus preventing acne. It may also help control oil production and helps hyperpigmentation and/or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or erythema by accelerating said turnover, also resulting in increased production of collagen. Listen to your derms and estheticians and appreciate them more! They're right , and they're there to help!Tazarotene(Tazorac) , the most powerful retinoid for acneTazarotene has been shown to be more effective than tretinoin in treatment of acne vulgaris and comedones by activating more but select RARs in your skin. Results are faster than tretinoin for acne but may be followed by increased irritation.Reference:Tazarotene versus tretinoin or adapalene in the treatment of acne vulgaris - L KakitaPMID: 10898831DOI: 10.1067/mjd.2000.108322https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10898831/#:~:text=Preliminary%20results%20from%20the%20tazarotene,equally%20efficacious%20against%20closed%20comedones.Retinization and the purging phase - A guide for insecure teens and doubtful retinoid users on retinization , the flare-up period for retinoids and how to introduce them to your skin without looking like a lizard.-----------------S T A R T S L O W!------------------------Trust me, having resilient skin does NOT mean you won't be irritated or purge.Retinoids are to be introduced really slowly at first then worked up to as often as your skin can tolerate with minor or no irritation. There's plenty of guides on r/SkinCareAddiction that offer insights about how to introduce and what to couple it with but just in case you're too lazy to navigate and take care of yourself, i'll explain.As i said, start slow. Cleanse your skin at night then wait for it to be completely dry. Water on your skin helps retinoids go too deep, increasing potential for irritation. Apply a pea-sized(LESS IS ACTUALLY MORE! RETINOIDS HAVE A "CREEPING" EFFECT. THEY SPREAD THEMSELVES TO A SMALL SURROUNDING AREA ON YOUR SKIN! APPLYING MORE WON'T MAKE IT WORK FASTER, IT'LL ONLY IRRITATE YOUR SKIN!) amount on all your face avoiding the eye, lip and nose areas and let dry(15-25 min.) then moisturize. Moisturize, moisturize and freaking moisturize! Almost all acne treatments are drying to our skin. Your skin will have a very hard time recovering if you don't let it keep its water. Use a gentle cleanser only once a day(at night) and just rinse in the morning(DON'T FORGET YOUR FREAKING SUNSCREEN! RETINOIDS MAY MAKE YOUR SKIN MORE SENSITIVE TO THE SUN, PLUS YOUR SKIN STAYS HEALTHIER FOR LONGER WHEN IT'S NOT BEING RAVAGED BY UV RAYS) .------------------------------------------------Important advice on retinoid application------------------------------------• Start slow, apply once every 3-4 days, wait two weeks or more/less until you're ready to apply more often, then apply every other day. If your skin handles it with minor or no irritation , continue application. If you get really irritated and flaky(usually everything you'd put on would burn for a while) reduce frequency and try again once your skin has had more time to adapt to the retinoid. Repeat until you work it up to daily application or as often as your skin can handle. Less is more but the more often you can apply(UP TO ONCE DAILY!!!!) , the faster you can achieve results.•Seriously , moisturize! Pick a good moisturizer with some occlusive capacity too as your skin will need every drop of water it can getWhen not applying retinoid (e.g. in the morning or when you have a day off), apply moisturizer right after cleansing skin with lukewarm water, not too cold, not too hot. Don't rub your skin dry, pat it dry and apply the moisturizer while the skin is still damp.•Don't use more than one retinoid in your skincare routine and DO NOT combine retinoids with other exfoliators. You won't get better results unless you got some insanely resilient skin and will just end up sensitizing your skin and wrecking your skin barrier. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The dreaded purging phase, what you need to know about it and how to keep your sanity.The purging phase refers to your skin becoming worse before it gets better. Most acne treatments accelerate skin turnover. Comedones and acne take 6-8 weeks to form under your skin. This accelerated turnover brings them up to the skin's surface faster. It's basically bringing out what would eventually come , just faster. These comedones can and will come to a head or pimple. I won't lie and tell you it'll be easy. You will suffer through this but it's worth EVERY PIMPLE after you see the results. It's gonna be hard, it's gonna feel like it's not working, it's gonna give you anxiety, it's gonna feel BAD, but you'll make it. Don't give up on a retinoid until well past purging period. Purging lasts anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months but some may go up to 6 months or more. It all depends on your skin and no one can say for sure how long you'll purge, but you'll make it. If it really doesn't work, see your derm for better options. Antibiotics may be used short-term or long-term if coupled with benzoyl peroxide provided minimal irritation is acceptable in order to mitigate some of the purging, but it will still happen. Some lucky individuals however do not purge at all. The intermachinations of the human body are an enigma.Good luck , and may your purge be swift!
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by eljokun
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