Alright friends, let’s clear this up; literally. First off, if you are struggling with acne, know you are not alone. Acne is one of the most common skin concerns, as well as, one of the most frustrating skin concerns. It’s one that loves to play with our emotions; sometimes it sticks around, other times it comes and goes, and sometimes it leaves us with scarring. It can leave us feeling depressed, embarrassed, and angry; especially when we feel like nothing is working.
As an aesthetic nurse, I see so many patients who feel like they’ve tried everything without success — but the truth is, clear skin isn’t about quick fixes or harsh routines. It’s about understanding your skin, identifying what it needs (and what it doesn’t). Today, I’m sharing my experience with acne, my favorite tips and tricks for calming breakouts, preventing new ones, and restoring that confident, healthy glow we all deserve.
Growing up, I never struggled with acne. I would have a pimple here and there, a flare up around my period or a stressful time, but nothing crazy. However, about six months ago, I experienced a full-face of cystic acne out of the blue. Let me tell you, it was one of the biggest struggles, and it took a toll on my mental health. I felt embarrassed to be seen in public, and even around my friends, so I isolated myself from everything and everyone. Some people may think that’s vain, but caring about your skin doesn’t make you vain; it means you value yourself, your skin health, and your well-being.
After talking to some skincare experts, I was advised to take a deep dive into why this was occurring. (I am SO GLAD I DID! Always listen to the experts, they know what they are talking about!) The root causes of acne boils down to one of two things; your gut health/diet or your hormones. I asked myself if anything had changed in what I was eating, my hormone levels, stress, my gut, etc. I started a medication that affected my hormone levels about two weeks prior to the acne forming, but did not know if it was the medication or something else causing it. I did extensive testing to see where the problem originated. After getting the tests back, I decided to stop the medication to see if that would have any affect on my acne. Soon after, some of my acne started going away. Fast forward a few months, the acne is still not totally gone and I did not feel like myself at all; I felt extremely sick and fatigued. So, I decided to go to a holistic practitioner specializing in gut health. She diagnosed me with parasites! This did not come as a shock to me because I was having symptoms of parasites for weeks prior (extreme fatigue, bloating, fullness after eating anything, horrible insomnia (I was sleeping 2-3 hours a night), hair loss, etc). Apparently, parasites fall through the cracks of GI maps frequently, because you have to have the perfect test sample for them to be detected. I was placed on a high dose antiparasitic medication by my primary care provider and was advised to complete a gut health protocol in the months moving forward by the holistic practitioner. After completing all of her recommendations and sticking to a routine my acne greatly improved and I felt back to my old self!
As we know, there can be other reasons acne arises and ways/tips/tricks to improve it. A suggestion I would highly encourage, would be to taking progress photos and keeping an acne diary each and every day; this will allow you to monitor your acne and be able to pinpoint triggers. (Ask yourself: What is making the acne worse? What did I do/eat yesterday that might have triggered a flare? Changes in products? Stress?) Some of my favorite things were causing my acne flares, and I thought they were “healthy”! The biggest culprits were energy drinks and protein powder with collagen in it! (If you are acne prone, I would suggest switching to coffee and only consuming plant based protein powders.) Another suggestion I would have would be collaborating with an aesthetician to get their advice on the correct skincare regimen for you and your skin type.
Simple switches/additions to your routine:
- Run all of your products through this acne checker, eliminate the ones containing high-pore clogging ingredients (I’m talking skincare products, makeup, etc!) https://acneclinicnyc.com/pore-clogging-ingredients/
- Use disposable towels instead of wash cloths (a lot of laundry detergents contain high-pore clogging ingredients)! This one is my favorite! amazon.com/Clean-Skin-Club-Disposable-Sensitive/dp/B07PBXXNCY/ref=asc_df_B07PBXXNCY?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80058270750034&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=48582&hvtargid=pla-4583657830568215&psc=1
- Face Reality Skincare (THE BEST for acne prone skin!!!) and it is at an incredible price point!
- Omnilux Red Light Therapy mask (helps with acne inflammation, great for overall skin health)
- Dandelion Root Tea (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects)
- Icing your pimples! (DO NOT PICK! You can do 2-5 minutes of this, however long you can tolerate. This helps bring down any inflammation.)
- Cutting out acne-triggering foods. The best diet for a healthy gut and healthy skin is a whole foods diet. Foods that can make acne worse: gluten, dairy, and refined sugars.
- Educating yourself on gut health! Here is the link to one of my favorite books! https://www.amazon.com/Brainwashed-Your-Gut-Secret-between/dp/9370034692/ref=asc_df_9370034692?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80264548396353&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=48582&hvtargid=pla-4583864016130578&psc=1&msclkid=3139fe8edc8f1c37b7e09677f670c846
Treatments for acne:
- Forever Clear Acne laser (Sciton BBL Hero)
- This laser uses the power of broad band light (BBL) to kill bacteria, calm inflammation, and prevent future breakouts from occurring! Message me if you are interested in this treatment, I would love to help you! I will link the website down below, so you can learn more about the device!
- https://sciton.com/treatment/forever-clear-bbl/
- Face Reality Monthly facials
Just to show you how close your gut/diet and your skin is, these photos were taken 3 days apart! One on Friday morning, and one on Monday morning! I am very strict and regimented with what I eat on a day-to-day basis; however, this weekend I was traveling and indulging in wine and dairy! It is crazy to see how quickly these choices manifest on our skin!
FUN FACTS:
- Did you know, acne affects 85% of people in their lives.
As always, if you have questions on this treatment, or any of Arya’s services, please feel free to contact me (my instagram is @audreylampe) and I would be happy to chat with you! Thank you so much for being here and all of your continued support; it means the world!
xoxo
Audrey 🖤
Audrey Lampe, BSN, RN. Arya Medical Spa. 1185 Fortune Blvd Shiloh, IL. Call 618-624-7300 or message me to book. You can find me on instagram @audreylampe. 🖤
Aesthetic Nurse Audrey 