It can be rather difficult to gauge the severity of your acne, especially if you are not extremely familiar with this particular skin condition. If you are one of the millions of people all around the world who has acne, it will be important to take the time to consider what type you have and just how bad it is.
Some people have very severe acne and as a result need special medication, which may or may not be the case with you. After you find out a little bit more about the type of acne you have, you will be able to choose the appropriate treatment.
Look Carefully at the Changes
Part of determining whether you have mild, moderate, or severe acne is monitoring all of the changes which occur over time. This means that you will definitely want to take a close look at what your acne is like each morning when you wake up. Make sure to take note of how bad it gets over time, because you will be able to use this information to gauge just how bad it really is.
You should also be checking your skin out every night before you go to bed for blemishes, redness, and inflammation. There are no official guidelines or criteria that separate mild acne from severe acne, but a dermatologist will be able to help you out by diagnosing your condition and getting you started on an effective treatment which is appropriate. Keep in mind that there are certain medications and treatments which are appropriate for the treatment of some types of acne that are worse than others.
Sometimes the most severe acne can appear and disappear very quickly, giving the illusion that it really isn’t that bad. You will want to pay close attention to those times when you do have a breakout somewhere on your face or body, because it will be important in determining what kind of treatment you will need. Acne rosacea for example tends to come and go, but just because it isn’t there all the time doesn’t mean it isn’t severe as a whole.
Avoid Squeezing and Popping
Although it can be extremely tempting to squeeze and pop the pimples on your face to get all of the pus out, this can be a bad idea. When you pop your pimples, you are opening them up to infection. This means that the likelihood of your acne worsening becomes much greater, so it will therefore be important to do everything you can to restrain yourself from doing these things.
When you do not pop or squeeze your pimples, you will be able to see just how bad they get and whether or not any pustules are created, because they can be quite serious and very painful to the touch. While popping your pimples may provide you with temporary release from the pressure, you will find that ultimately it will only work against you.
You should also remember that the best way to gauge how bad your acne is would be to speak with a skilled and trained dermatologist. These people specialize in skin and will be able to help you to fully understand how bad your acne is and what you can do to prevent it from becoming even worse in the future. A trip to the dermatologist can definitely pay off, because you will be able to find out just how bad your condition is and what kind of help you can get as well.
Things to Remember
Although it may be somewhat inconvenient or embarrassing, it is still very important for you to take physical notes of the changes that your skin makes with a pen and pad of paper. You might even want to carry a pocket-sized pad with you wherever you go so you will be able to write down everything you need to. In order to understand your acne and how bad it is, you will have to take the time to make the proper notes and observe changes which occur in terms of the amount of swelling and irritation on your skin.
