If you have had pimples or bad skin for a while, let me give you a way to clear them. It won't work for everyone, but it works for many. It's for persistent bad skin, not cyclical. A thread:
1. First of all, you need to be sure to change your pillow-case/Bedsheet regularly. Best is daily, but if hard, then every few days at the least. At the end of the day, be sure to wash your face before sleeping. Use water and a cleanser. Do so in the morning too.
2. Keep your skin moisturized through the day, particularly if you are in an environment with AC. It dries up your skin a lot. Use a light day-cream. The above two things are the basics you do for maintainance. But to solve the immediate problem:
3. Go to the pharmacy and buy Benzoyle Peroxide 5% or 10%, depending on the severity of the skin problem. It comes in different brands, buy the one recommended by the chemist. Use according to prescription or once a day before sleeping. This will attack the bacteria directly.
4. Be very careful with this one, but if your skin condition is not caused by Acne or Bacteria, you can use Hydrocortisone. This medicine reduces your bodies reaction, so it can make a reaction subside. However, if used wrongly, it can turn off a reaction that should be there.
5. If you do not see any good result from Benzoyle Peroxid after 1 month, you can meet your doctor and ask if Hydrocortisone would be a good alternative for the skin condition. If your skin is 'flaring up' without good reason, then it can often help.
6. It takes 4 to 6 weeks before you see results from Benzoyle, so be patient. Also, it tends to dry out the skin, so moisturise when you use it.
7. Another common cause of skin irritation in Nigeria is the use of toxic chemicals - in particular using sniper or such industrial grade fumigation material to kill insects. For many people, these chemicals cause skin reactions. Don't fight the symptoms, fight the cause.
8. Stop using heavy chemicals against insects and focus on sealing up entry-ways into your home (e.g drainholes for water). Use normal insecticides, and use them sparingly.
9. For people who work in the sun a lot, particularly if you are lighter skinned, you should use sunscreen. If all these tips don't work, a dermatologist could help diagnose further what the issue is.
