Your Skin

Q: What's causing my breakouts?

A: There are many causes behind the formation of breakouts.

Stress, excess oil, excess skin cells, bacteria, hormonal fluctuations, and genetics are all factors that can contribute to acne.

Working with your professional skin therapist, you can help control the factors that contribute to acne. Through your Face Mapping® skin analysis and professional treatment and prescription, your professional skin therapist can help regulate sebaceous glands, promote exfoliation to help shed skin cells to prevent clogging of the follicle, kill acne-causing bacteria, reduce stress, and help soothe inflammation associated with breakouts.

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Q: Does milk cause acne?

A: This is another misinterpretation: milk doesn't trigger acne or breakouts. It's the hormones produced by cows that are found in milk that can actually overstimulate oil glands and cause overproduction of oil.

As cows that give milk are pregnant most of their lives, the natural hormones that occur during pregnancy are found in the milk you drink. The reason that milk products cause acne is because milk contains hormones that "turn on" oil glands. It is not yet known if hormones injected into cows cause any difference in the level of natural hormones in milk.

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Q: Does toothpaste really dry breakouts?

A: Quite the contrary.

New information actually reveals that toothpaste can stimulate breakouts on your chin and around the mouth. Dermatologists say that heavily flavored toothpaste, or toothpaste with high levels of fluoride, can cause breakouts to arise.

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Q: I have oily skin. Why do I need a moisturizer?

A: Moisturizers are vital to every skin care regimen, regardless of skin condition.

An oily skin can be dehydrated, and will need hydration from a moisturizer: this is because dehydration is a lack of water in the skin layers, not a lack of oil. The activity of oil glands can still be normal, or even overactive, in a dehydrated skin. Often times, dehydration in an oily skin can also lead to higher production of oil, so keeping skin hydrated with an oil-free moisturizer can help control overactive sebaceous glands.

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Q: I have a breakout right now and want it gone fast! What can I do?

A: Breakouts always tend to "pop up" when we need to put our best face forward.

If you can, make an appointment ASAP with your professional skin therapist, who can determine if your breakout is a blackhead, and can subsequently extract it.  If you have a non-blackhead breakout, your professional skin therapist can treat it with professional treatment room tools.

If you can’t get to a professional, treat the breakout with a topical treatment product containing Benzoyl Peroxide. If you’re allergic or hypersensitive to Benzoyl Peroxide, try a product containing Sulfur. A product containing a natural tint will also help conceal the breakout as it heals.

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Q: What's the difference between a whitehead and a blackhead?

A: Whiteheads and blackheads are considered non-inflammatory lesions when discussing the various stages of breakouts.

Speak with your professional skin therapist about a customized regimen to help control the signs of skin aging. A blackhead is a clogged follicle opening containing oil and dead cells.

Second, blackheads are not a sign of dirty, or unclean, skin.

Blackheads are blocked follicles that have an opening to the skin’s surface, making them exposed to air, triggering oxidization which makes it change in color (think how an apple turns brown after it’s been cut/exposed to oxygen).

A whitehead, also known as a closed comedone, is not open and has barely any or no exposure to air. Because air cannot reach the follicle, the debris inside the pore does not oxidize and change color.

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Q: Does tanning help clear oily skin and breakouts?

A: Hear this loud and clear: tanning is never good for skin!

Baking in the sun to clear breakouts can worsen breakouts and intensify your chances of long-term scarring and hyperpigmentation (dark spots). They may clear momentarily, but there is an increase in cells when the skin is exposed to UV and this further clogs follicle openings.

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