How to get rid of annoying acne: Traditional Chinese medicine treatment and dietary tips for acne in middle-aged men

4. How to get rid of annoying acne?

Why do middle-aged people, long past their student days, still get acne? Why do they suddenly develop acne when they were young, when they never had it? Is acne in middle age a sign of lingering youth or a warning sign of aging?

Many middle-aged men are bothered by acne, and being bothered by this blemish in public places can be quite frustrating. Actually, acne isn't so scary. With a thorough understanding of acne and proper prevention and treatment in daily life, it can be easily "solved."

Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Acne

Spleen deficiency and dampness stagnation type acne: This type of acne usually occurs on the cheeks, face, back, and around the mouth and nose. It is a type of papular acne. The main treatment principle is to strengthen the spleen and dry dampness.

Acne due to excessive heat in the lungs and stomach: This type of acne is the most common. It typically appears on the right cheek, forehead, and chest, with more severe symptoms on the lips, right face, and around the nose. Symptoms may include nodules, papules, pustules, cysts, and pigmentation. Treatment focuses on cooling the blood, removing blood stasis, clearing heat, and clearing lung and stomach heat.

Acne caused by damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder: commonly appears on the left cheek, both sides of the face, chin, and left jaw. The focus of treatment is to clear heat and promote diuresis.

Methods to eliminate acne

Don't touch it. Avoid rubbing, squeezing, picking, or otherwise touching pimples on your body. Doing so often leads to bacterial infection and makes scabs larger. Similarly, control your hands and avoid touching your face. Also, avoid headbands, scarves, and hat straps that could compress the affected area.

Holistic treatment. The ointment shouldn't just be applied to the areas where acne appears; it should also be applied to areas prone to acne. These areas include the face (excluding the eyes and lips), chest, and neck.

Use exfoliating cleansers with caution. Exfoliation refers to removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin using a rough-surfaced towel, hand towel, or other similar product. If the skin is already irritated by acne, this type of exfoliation will worsen the condition. Avoid using brushes, rough towels or sponges, and similar products to cleanse the delicate skin of the face. However, it may be acceptable to try it on rougher areas of skin, such as the chest and back.

Be careful with iodine. Iodine is found in iodized salt and many vitamins. Excessive iodine intake can cause acne, so extra caution is advised.

Wash your face appropriately. Washing your face can remove the oil on the surface of your skin, but it cannot remove the oil inside the skin. In fact, washing your face too often can cause facial dehydration or irritate sensitive facial skin.

Avoid foods that may cause acne. Nuts, oily foods, chocolate, and other foods are closely related to acne, especially for middle-aged men who already have acne.

Wash your face properly. Limit your face washing to no more than three times a day: in the morning, after lunch, and before bed. The correct way to wash your face is: first, apply soap or a soap-free cleanser labeled "suitable for sensitive skin" or "mild," then dampen your face with a little warm water and wipe your skin. Finally, rinse with clean water. If you have oily skin, gently massage your face with your fingertips dampened with warm water. You can also use soap containing benzoyl peroxide.

Avoid using oily products. Avoid using oily facial cleansers, heavy-oil facial moisturizers, or hair balms. Additionally, it's best to choose an oil-free sunscreen with an SPF higher than 15, which can not only prevent acne but also wrinkles and skin cancer.

Dietary tips for acne

① To eliminate acne, reduce your intake of high-fat foods such as cream and fatty pork, as well as fried foods, as these increase sebum production, making your skin oilier. ② Focus on a light, vegetarian diet. Avoid or minimize spicy and pungent foods, including chili peppers, raw onions, and raw garlic, and limit or avoid coffee, strong tea, and strong alcohol. These foods increase the levels of androgens, which in turn lead to increased sebum production, exacerbating acne. Therefore, a light diet is crucial for acne reduction. ③ Limit your intake of pungent foods and seafood, such as fish, lamb, shellfish, and shrimp. Also, limit your consumption of warming foods like dog meat, beef, and leeks. ④ Avoid high-sugar foods, such as candies and chocolates. Sugar is converted into fat in the body, and excess fat increases sebum production.

In daily life, it's important to be aware of which foods can worsen your acne. Of course, blindly avoiding certain foods is also not advisable, as it can lead to malnutrition. A balanced diet is the best way to eliminate acne.