Pimples, Problems and Prevention!

The commonest problem associated with pimples I have ever faced is, the patient!

I am a doctor and I get to listen to many patients a day, most of them looking for solutions for their skin problems. Usually it is an allergic itch or a white patch for which I most often have a prompt diagnosis and definite treatment. But once in a while, this apprehensive patient turns up at my cubicle, looking nervous and embarrassed, to find solutions for the commonest skin problem : the acne or the pimple!

The pimple is lovingly called 'Acne vulgaris' by doctors. Yes, you smelled it right : vulgaris as in 'vulgar'. The very ghastly appearance of pimples puts off the everyone, right? Add infection to it, and pimples become your worst enemy in this whole world.

Though acne is a common problem, it is very hard to treat it. Cheerful adolescent girls with shiny smooth skin come to me complaining that dozens of pimples have erupted on their face in a single day. Once, a patient told me that she would not want to go to her college because she don't want anyone to see her pimples! Middle aged women get a fresh crop of pimples while they are nursing their newborns. People flock into the clinic during summer, pointing at their infected pimples and wanting an immediate solution. What does the doctor do to appease this aggressive crowd of 'pimply' people?

I would say, prevention is better than cure. The patient who has had pimples once in her lifetime is likely to have it again later on, too. The first step towards fighting pimples is identifying your skin type, whether it is oily or dry. Those with oily skin are likely to develop pimples. Now don't panic! Even if you have oily skin, everything is under control. Read on.

You have to wash your face with a good quality face wash several times a day. Do it in the morning as soon as you get up, do it in the evening when you are back from work and do it during the night just before going to sleep. The face wash will take away most of the oil from your face, leaving it smooth, glowing and pimple-free.

So, one day, when fortune was not on your side, you forgot to care for your skin. Later on, you developed pimples because you started caring less about your skin (maybe you had a lot of work to do at the office, maybe your cat is sick, maybe you are moving your residence). Whatever be the reason, you need to seek treatment. Go to a doctor (ME!) and talk about your problems. Your doctor will find out the causes for the pimple and ask you questions about your diet and lifestyle habits. You will get medication and, yo! you follow the treatment protocol and erase pimples from your face like those photographers wiping the images on photoshop!

Have a happy new pimple-less year!

Thanks to Garnier for conducting this contest : http://www.garnier.in/face-care/beauty/garnier/pure-active/neem-face-wash

Please also have a look at this cool place that advertises, "No pimple, no marks!" (http://www.nopimplesnomarks.com/) and read their tips to good health.