At Brian J. Williams, M.D., P.C., we’re acne treatment specialists who have seen it all in the world of acne. We know how difficult it can be to get adequate acne treatment, and we’re experts who know exactly how to treat your individual issues.

With acne, though, the list of things not to do is nearly as long as the list of necessary treatments. It’s much easier than you think to make skin care and acne issues worse simply by doing the wrong things while you try to treat it. Here are some of the easiest practices to avoid while attempting to treat acne or other skin issues.

Doing Too Much

Many people simply assume that throwing solutions at the problem until one sticks is the right way to go, but you’re often just making things worse. Don’t assume that more products equals more results – using too many skin products will often irritate the skin and make your issues worse.

Down similar lines, don’t overdo things during your actual cleaning processes either. Over-scrubbing or using too much product within a given session can also create irritation issues, and can compromise the natural protective barriers in your skin.

Giving Up Too Soon

The skin isn’t in the business of making quick moves. It takes time to soothe issues, and acne is among the longer term concerns out there.

It often takes between six and 12 weeks for your treatment to fully engage, and it’s possible things will actually appear worse than usual during these first few weeks. This is all totally normal. Even if your acne clears up earlier than you were advised to continue your medication, don’t stop taking it – finish the cycle, or for many products, simply continue using them nonstop even once you’ve cleared issues up.

Getting Picky

Don’t pick at your acne! It’s natural to do, and it may seem like it’s helping, but picking or popping your acne will simply lengthen your skin’s recovery time and raise the risk of permanent scarring. Many times, you’re simply pushing infected areas lower down into the base of the skin.

Waiting Too Long

There’s a certain point where home and over-the-counter remedies simply aren’t capable of handling the task at hand, but many people don’t come to this realization until far too late. A dermatologist like Brian J. Williams, M.D., P.C. just has many more tools and solutions available, and can help with advanced pain and scarring issues that creams and lotions are useless against.

Have any questions about treating acne or any of our other dermatology services? Our friendly staff is standing by today.