Weed Out Acne Before It Sprouts

Synopsis 1: If acne is a recurring problem for you, it's time to get proactive. With these simple tools, you'll go from managing your acne to preventing it.

Synopsis 2: For your proactive acne plan, you'll need to pay close attention to your acne cycle, choose preventative treatments, take vitamins and practice your skincare mantra. Attack your acne at the root by following these simple steps.

Acne cycle

Have you noticed that every month you breakout at the same time? Like clockwork, the week before you menstruate, your skin becomes irritated; the week after your period, your skin becomes dull and rigid. Diane Berson, M.D., assistant attending physician at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, tells Shape magazine, "Nearly half of women experience increased oiliness and breakouts the week before their period."

So, what can you do to reduce your repetitive, irritating breakouts? Shape recommends that you mark your calendar the two weeks before your period begins and note what happens to your skin. Notice also how your skin changes according to stressful situations. Simply, pencil in the letter "b" on those days you have a breakout. Over the course of time, you'll begin to see a pattern.

You'll learn when your acne flares up - what days, weeks - and where you breakout - is it on your chin, nose or forehead or around your mouth? Then spot treat the areas on your face that are acne-prone.

Proactive procedures

Along with documenting your acne cycle and spot treating, indulge in a facial prior to a stressful situation. A big presentation at work? A fast-approaching deadline? Forget being frazzled, and pamper yourself with a special spa treat.

Prevent your nerves from rising and the breakouts that follow with a relaxing facial five days prior to that stressful engagement. Calming scents such as lavender, citrus or cucumber are used in a relaxing facial. This facial is typically gentler - more massage focused than extraction focused.

Another great treatment to try alongside a relaxing facial is microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion helps combat acne and scars. This procedure doesn't use chemicals, which makes it a good choice for acne-prone and sensitive skin. Microdermabrasion is also a proactive procedure, cleaning up the pores before they get clogged.

Vitamins as seeds

Plant your proactive seeds with a daily multivitamin. Not only are vitamins beneficial for your health and skin, they also boost your immune system to help fight off bacteria that may cause acne. As important antioxidants, vitamins protect cells from free radical damage and promote collagen production.

If taking a multivitamin upsets your stomach, try taking your vitamin with a balanced, nutritious meal -not on an empty stomach. Vitamins work best when absorbed by nutritious foods.

Both vitamin E and vitamin A are particularly valuable in combating acne. Vitamin E helps your tissues repair and your skin heal. And it's easy to incorporate vitamin E into your diet. Aside from getting it in pill form (recommended daily dose is 400 IU), vitamin E is found in an array of foods, including avocadoes, corn, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, eggs, sweet potatoes and oatmeal.

In addition to helping eliminate toxins from your body, vitamin A acts as a proactive treatment by reducing oil production. Rich sources of vitamin A include carrots, romaine lettuce, baked sweet potatoes, apricots and tomatoes. For adults, the recommend daily dose is 10,000 IU.

Skincare mantra

When you look in the mirror, what do you tell yourself? "Great, another breakout," or "How can I go out in public today?" or "Everyone will notice!" Whatever negative things you tell yourself, they hold a powerful effect on your entire being.

According to Barbara Hoberman Levine, author of Your Body Believes Every Word You Say: The Language of the Body-Mind Connection, attitude, belief and language play a huge role in your health and how you are able to overcome obstacles.

And how you feel can impact how your body functions. "The mind and skin are connected on many different levels," Karen Mallin, PsyD, an instructor in the departments of psychiatry & behavioral sciences and dermatology & cutaneous surgery of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami tells WebMD. She adds, "A lot of nerve endings are connected to the skin, which wraps around the organs, so as emotions are played out neurologically, they can be expressed through the skin just as stress can be expressed through gastrointestinal symptoms, increased anxiety or hypertension."

Unfortunately, stress loves acne for company. When you're stressed out, your body releases stress hormones - like cortisol - that can increase your skin's sebum production. As a result, you become more vulnerable to those problematic pimples.

A helpful way to fight stress is to think positively: Brainstorm a positive phrase you can chant when you're unhappy with your skin. Try "this too shall pass" or "I visualize my skin clear" and repeat it to yourself. The words you tell yourself will play an important role in how you feel and how your skin heals.

So, remember: Observe your skin, apply an effective spot treatment to acne-prone areas, take your vitamins and calm your nerves with positivity, and you'll have your reflection showing off a beautiful complexion to weed out acne in no time!