How to Tell if Your Acne Treatment is Really Working

Acne requires the right product, patience, and proper skincare routine to keep it under wraps. When acne takes over your skin, it may be hard to ignore its glaring presence. However, with the proper acne treatment, you can reclaim your original skin and confidence as well.

To evaluate whether an acne treatment is working, you need to be patient after starting the treatment method and closely monitor your skin. The signs below are an indication that your skin is responding to acne treatment.

Blackheads occur on the surface of your skin but don't leave scarring effects. It occurs when the inner lining of your hair follicles produce pigmentation. They also don't cause inflammation. However, you will notice that the bumpiness across your skin surface is evening out to leave a smooth surface. Additionally, it will gradually fade over time in color, becoming fairer as you continue using the treatment.

Before acne treatment, you tend to have swollen peoples that may result in blemishes. Sometimes, they may even ooze pus and form a scab over it. When your acne treatment is working, the inflammation tends to become smaller and less painful.

The inflammation usually occurs as soft lesions filled with pus and tend to become painful as they gradually increase. Sometimes, they may also occur as hard and painful lumps. When the inflammation is red and has lumps of 5 millimeters in dimension or less, it is a papules sign.

Pustules, on the other hand, occur when the inflammatory pimples have pus on the tips. When treatment starts to work, you will notice a significant reduction in the inflammatory sizes. Cysts will also reduce the skin.

Hyperpigmentation is one of the most common symptoms you may experience with inflammatory acne. When your acne starts to heal, it tends to leave behind a dark pigmentation mask, hard to ignore. Acne treatments contain retinol, which facilitates the evening out of the skin.

When you notice the hyperpigmentation is wearing off, it signifies that the acne treatment is working. As Dr. Jaggi Rao highlights in the Comprehensive Review of All Three Proactiv Systems, the specific retinoid that promotes this change is the adapalene, which increases new skin cells' production. Consequently, you get rid of the old skin cells, which cause hyperpigmentation.

It works by balancing the production of new cells and the death of the old cells. When the old cells die faster than the skin is producing new cells, hyperpigmentation is imminent.     

As with the recommendable acne treatment with the cleanser, toner, and remaining treatment, you can be sure your skin will be on track to its last look before acne. A hydrator, also known as the moisturizer, is another impeccable attribute of a working treatment plan. A deep cleansing wash and oil control formula are also essential. Additionally, adapalene use also shows a significant improvement if your skin is dry and you have troublesome hyperpigmentation from acne.

When your acne is becoming unbearable, it is common to develop the urge to itch the area. When you continuously itch, you may wound your skin, resulting in more bumps that don't go away. However, when your treatment starts to work, the scratching significantly reduces.

Before acne treatment, you may notice seemingly natural, red, or even angry acne. When your acne turns red, it becomes hard to ignore the spots because of its conspicuous visibility. Sometimes, people may tend to think you are feeling pain, even when you are not.

In such instances, when you stay under the sun, you may notice the redness becomes more revealing. More often than not, it may also look like a red rash when the red spots developed closely together.

Whiteheads commonly occur when the pimples lack exposure to air. They develop a pin size white inflammation on top of your skin, and you may feel the need to pop them out. However, when acne treatment starts yielding results, the whiteheads gradually pop on their own, and no new ones will form. The whiteheads may tend to form a white or yellow color.

Excess oil production on the skin is a predominant feature of acne. However, that doesn't mean that only people with oily skin can develop the condition. If you have dry skin, you may also develop acne.

However, if your oil secretion is a lot, acne tends to be problematic. Effective acne treatment works by reducing oil secretion. Therefore, once you notice your oily skin is becoming less oily by the day after using the treatment, it is a sign the treatment is effective. 

With oily skin, your face shows a shiny appearance, even without any application to the face. It is most common in the T- zone. It refers to the forehead and the nose area. With less oil production, blocking of the follicles by sebum also reduces significantly.

Scarring occurs when acne leaves a mark when healing. With the proper treatment plan, you will notice the scarring effects reduce significantly and become less noticeable.

The above signs show that acne treatment is working, and thus you should continue using it in treating your skin. Additionally, when you start noticing the changes, it is advisable not to immediately switch up the type of treatment or dosage you are using. The objective is to maintain consistency for excellent results.

Reducing the care tips you have been maintaining all along could lead to stalling your treatment progress. Additionally, please remember to avoid over-cleaning your skin in the quest to eliminate all germs and excess oil, as it may dry out your face leaving it with intense irritation. Plus, steer clear from squeezing out any blackheads as they will leave scarring.

If possible, you can avoid makeup and let your skin breathe for a while. Nevertheless, if you still want to use makeup, use it minimally to avoid clogging your pores. Gradually, your skin will flourish, and you can smile again. Plus, always have realistic expectations on the heating journey as no two skin types have the same reaction to acne treatment.