Does Icing Your Face Help With Acne

Holding Ice To Your Face

How To Apply The Ice To The Skin

My Hormonal Acne Journey: Healing + Managing Acne

One of my most requested blog post topics, hormonal acne has also been one of the harder things for me to talk about. Not only because Ive had quite the ups and downs with it and that it has been an emotionally difficult issue for me over the years, but also because its still an ongoing journey for me.

So for me, I struggled with the insecurity and discomfort of sharing my past and current photos of my skin, but also a bit of imposter syndrome as in, how could I talk about healing my hormonal acne when I still have skin that is far from flawless? Then I realized that mentality is exactly what I fight against when it comes to speaking about body image issues, so why should this be any different? If anything, those of us who have dealt with problematic skin are usually far more well-versed in skincare than those with not many skin issues because weve had to figure things out!

DISCLAIMER: This is not a blog post that is a cheat sheet to curing hormonal acne the causes + severity of hormonal acne varies for each person, but there are lifestyle factors that are hugely impactful for most people that I want to help explain so it can broaden your perspective on your journey and hopefully give you some new tools of knowledge. Also, nothing here is a medical recommendation, as that is beyond my scope. I am sharing what I have done and used, from an anecdotal perspective.

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Washes Away Dirt And Debris

Placing ice directly on the skin isnt recommended. Ice can stick to skin and cause a cold burn, which can aggravate acne. Instead of applying ice right on top of the skin, create a compress and let the ice melt. Hold the ice for only a few minutes and then wash your face with cool water. Cool water acts as an astringent that also washes away debris.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Rubbing Ice On Face

* It helps to shrink the pores and even stops sweating for a while. Yes, rubbing ice on the skin does have benefits, but one should remember not to apply ice directly on the skin because it can damage the capillaries. Wrap ice cubes in a clean cloth and then apply it on the face gently for a few seconds at a time.

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Teenage Boys And Acne

As if the pressures of high school werent enough, you have to deal with pimples too?!

There are several things that can happen with hormonal changes in your teens. A sudden growth spurt, voice changes, hair on your face, underarms, and legs. And in some cases, acne! Hormones are not the cause of acne, but they do make it worse.

As we have discussed, acne is an inherited disorder of the pores. It starts at puberty when the oil glands start maturing. For a teenager, this is in the T-zone. A normal pore sheds about 1 layer of dead skin cells a day. But,someone with this disorder can shed up to 5 layers a day. All those dead skin cells combined with oil form a plug in the pore. This is how all acne starts.

Boys will tend to get acne earlier than girls, but will usually grow out of it more quickly. Girls tend to get it a few years later, but they wont grow out of it until later as well. When hormonal changes get thrown into the mix, you may see a sudden increase in breakouts. An increase in the androgen hormone make the skins oil glands larger, in turn they start producing more sebum. Sebum is an oily substance that your skin naturally produces to help lubricate your hair and skin. When more of it is pumped into an already clogged pore, it can cause irritation and inflammation. Lo and behold, a pimple is born! Boys tend to have more inflamed acne and these can cause scarring if not treated quickly and consistently.

Things to remember when dealing with teenage acne:

When To Use Heat On A Pimple

Now that you know ice can help shrink pores and reduce redness and swelling, it would seem that heat would have the opposite effect. So, why would you want to use heat on a pimple? Well, just like with a muscle strain, heat can be beneficial, if its used at the right time.

Heats trick is that it helps open up your pores. Traditionally, heat has been used as a home remedy to speed up drainage from painful boils and abscesses. Heat opens up and increases the pressure in an infected pore , and it helps to draw the pus up to the skins surface to create a head.2

Heat, like cold, can also soothe any pain.

When is the best time to use heat on a pimple, so it doesnt become more of an eyesore?

Use heat on a pimple when:

• Its very deep and painful, with no head.
• When youre not just about to go out to a special event.
• If youre hoping to bring a pimple to a head quickly.

*Time Out

Once a pimple comes to a head, itll eventually begin to heal. This is, of course, the stage where many people are tempted to pop it. Lets talk about popping pimples for a moment.

Even though you know that popping pimples can lead to even bigger issues, you still want to do it. Why? Because it feels like a quick fix to an unsightly problem.

But squeezing pimples almost always:

• Creates a worse scar
• Increases inflammation and swelling
• Spreads bacteria, both across the skin and back into the same pimple.

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Biggest Advice For Dealing With Healing Your Acne

Helps In Shrinking Skin Pores

Ice helps in shrinking the pores and even stops sweating for a while. Yes, rubbing ice on the skin does have benefits, but one should remember not to apply ice directly on the skin because it can damage the capillaries. Wrap ice cubes in a clean cloth and then apply it on the face gently, one at a time, for a few seconds. This should be done after cleansing. It can refresh the skin and even add glow.

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Skin Icing To The Rescue

Although Im no longer enthusiastic about running in the rain and hail, I have been able to replicate this sensational look through another method I do daily. I first heard of the concept of skin icing through a good friend and esthetician in San Francisco who owns an acne clinic.

She told me to start icing my skin day and night to help with the inflammation with my breakouts. At first, I wasnt sure how this would help, but I soon became a believer and advocate when I saw the amazing results.

Does Icing Help Acne Scars

Icing decreases pore size and helps reduce inflammation. This means that it can make your acne scarring temporarily look better, but the positive visual effect will go away once the numbing effect from the icing goes away.

If you ice your active inflammatory acne, however, this has a positive short-term effect on the active acne and a positive long-term effect in regard to acne scarring.

This is because the icing reduces inflammation, and since inflammation interferes with your skins healing process and makes it more likely for your acne to leave a scar, icing and decreasing the inflammation is a good way to treat your active acne to decrease the chances it will end up leaving a scar.

In conclusion, icing is a good acne scar prevention method you can use on active acne to help calm their inflammation so they are less likely to leave a scar as they heal.

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Beauty Benefits Of Using Ice Cubes On The Skin

You can say the application of ice cubes over the skin is a famous home remedy for beautiful skin. It is not a new technique for us, and we have been using this for a long. Summer can be terrible for your skin due to hot weather and heavy sweating. Ice cubes are beneficial for our skin in various ways.

Whether you want to keep your skin cool or want to make your makeup stick to your skin for longer on a hot summer day, an ice cube is the ultimate answer to all your worries! It is the most effective way than expensive products to keep yourself beautiful and radiant in this harsh season. An ice cube can help keep your skin healthy.

Innovative Ideas For Ice Cubes

Ice cubes do not have to be boring. Apart from your regular ice cubes, you can use other types of ice cubes for your skin. These are easy to prepare and have immense benefits for your skin.

1. Aloe Ice Cubes

Get your hands on fresh aloe vera gel and freeze it in your ice cube tray. Aloe vera is a great skincare product and frozen aloe ice cubes leave your skin refreshed and supple.

2. Green Tea Ice Cubes

Brew green tea and instead of consuming it, this time put it in your freezer to make ice cubes. Green tea has antibacterial and antiviral properties and these benefits can be availed when it is applied on the face too.

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Disclaimer: The information included at this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a health care professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the readers situation.

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So How Does A Facial Steamer Improve Acne

Steaming your face is certainly not a modern concept. The idea goes back as far as Roman times, and perhaps even further. Traditional methods include leaning over a basin of steaming water, with a towel draped over your head, but there are now specially-designed nano-steamers which bring you even more benefits.

As you can see, there are many benefits of steaming your face, and it can be extremely effective at reducing and preventing acne. Whats more, it is a completely natural way to deeply cleanse your skin and doesnt require harsh chemicals which can do more harm than good. It doesnt take long to do either. Modern steamers heat up very quickly, and sessions dont take long. Ideally, you should steam your face for more than five minutes to get enough of the benefits, but dont overdo it try to keep your steam session under twenty minutes.

Steaming your face is a suitable treatment for nearly all skin types even those with sensitive skin. You will see best results if you keep a regular regimen, but again you dont want to overdo it. A couple of times per week is a good place to start, and try to keep up good care of your skin in between.

Don’t Rely On Ice Alone

While using ice for acne can be beneficial, it’s important to note that it’s just a single component of skincare. Maintaining a proper daily skincare routine is essential so remember to continue washing your face regularly, treating acne and pimples with non-toxic and plant-based products like a salicylic acne treatment gel, and keeping your skin hydrated. Be mindful of other lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your blemishes, such as lack of sleep, stress, and a diet full of unhealthy foods. Understanding the type of acne you have and using a well-rounded approach will give you the best results and a healthy, youthful glow.

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The Timeline Of My Journey

Im telling you all of this to give some groundwork on how I pieced together the things that really affected my acne for the better and worse!

PART 1 OF 3: PRE-HASHIMOTOS

I had some normal breakouts as a teenager that I got prescribed antibiotics and all the benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin topicals you can imagine for it. It seemed to work, and then I never had any issues in college I used a simple 3 step routine a la Neutrogena with some cleanser, salicylic acid topicals and thats about it. Post-college, I started getting occasional cystic acne , but this time on my cheeks for the first time in my life not too big a deal.

PART 2 OF 3: HEIGHT OF HASHIS AND THE 2 YEARS AFTERWARD

PART 3 OF 3: THE RESURGENCE THROUGH NOW

Fast-forward to July of 2018 when I hit a breaking point and realized I needed to reclaim my health and reprioritize myself as #1. Thats when my skin really started to heal again and its been at a mostly consistent place since then, though I have my flare-ups from some factors below Ill be talking about. I am still on a very low dose of spironolactone as it helped mostly with helping me be free of the painful cystic breakouts. I eventually want to be off of this entirely though.

How To Use Heat On A Pimple:

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