Washing And Cleansing

Cleansing your face helps remove surface oil. However, remember that it is only the peeling agent that is able to penetrate deep into the follicles and loosen the cells. Vigorous scrubbing with a brush will not help the blocked follicles and may actually harm your skin. So, be sensible when cleansing your face.

There is a rather wide choice of preparations for washing and cleansing. The first item is a soap and there are two types - ordinary soaps and acne soaps. Most of the acne soaps contain a peeling agent. Since you will be using a peeling agent anyway, it is not crucial that you should purchase an acne soap. If your face is dry, use a soap made for mild skin. There are several types of soaps on the market - choose one that you like.

The next thing to decide is whether to use an abrasive or not. This step is optional. Abrasives work in the same way as sandpaper; they contain granules which when rubbed into the skin help to unblock plugged follicles. Dermatologists differ in their view about the usefulness of abrasives. I feel they do help to remove debris from the superficial parts of the follicle and help the peeling agent to penetrate better. Some of the abrasives available include Brasivol, Ionax Scrub and Bufpuf. Brasivol contains aluminium oxide granules and Ionax Scrub contains polyethylene granules. Both these contain soap so it is not necessary to use one first. Bufpuf is a polyester abrasive sponge which can be used with soap and water. Brasivol is available as fine, medium and coarse grades. I always start with fine and work upwards. Abrasives should not be used on skin with broken veins (telangiectasia) and by patients with dry skin. Excessive use can cause the skin to become red and painful. If this occurs, stop for a few days until the skin recovers and start again cautiously.

After washing, I get patients to wipe their face with a mildantiseptic such as chlorhexidine (Hibiscrub), providone-iodine (Betadine) or triclosan (Phisohex), or any other similar cleanser available in the pharmacy. This is then rinsed off and the face is patted dry.



NO MORE PIMPLES, A SELF-CARE GUIDE, DR. LIM KAH-BENG