A warm compress for acne is a comforting thought when you have a sore pimple. Acne is a very common condition that can affect anyone at any age. One thing is for sure, acne can be tough to treat and sometimes you just have to find what works. For some, that may be a warm compress with a facial, prescription medications, or just waiting for things to clear up.
Acne is a skin condition characterized by frequent pimples, blackheads, redness and inflammation of the skin, and whiteheads. It can appear on the face, back, arms, shoulders, and sometimes the upper thighs or backside. It is relatively harmless physically and will go away at some point when the oil glands calm down. However, acne can cause scarring and diminished self-esteem. This leads people to seek treatment to help.
How To Use a Warm Compress for Acne
Whether you are seeing a dermatologist, or taking care of things yourself, using a warm compress for acne can be very helpful to relieve the pressure of pimples. While it is not an acne cure, it may be just what you need to brighten your complexion. Yes, warm compresses work by steaming open blocked pores and allowing pimples to drain. It also improves circulation to your skin to speed up healing.
Before you begin, remember that clean skin is best before you use a warm compress. This will help the steam get straight into your pores and do its job. Dead skin cells can clog the opening to pores and prevent sebum from escaping. The steam will further help draw out impurities from your skin. If you have very noticeable debris coming to the surface, you may also need to re-wash your face after using the warm compress. Let’s take a look at how it is done.
Follow these steps to make a warm compress for acne:
- First, cleanse your face with your favorite acne wash and pat dry.
- Dip a washcloth into hot water. Try to get the water as hot as possible, but not too hot to burn the skin.
- Wring out and fold into thirds to trap in heat.
- Place on an affected area of your skin. Use a small amount of pressure over any pimples.
- Leave on until cloth cools. Remove and pat area dry.
- Repeat steps 1 through 5 and place on another area, if needed.
- After you finish, mist your face with a facial toner and allow to air dry.
Use a warm compress daily for a few days. After you notice a whitehead that is very large, you can wrap your fingers in some gauze and apply gentle pressure to the sides of the pimple. Don’t squeeze too hard. Sometimes, pimples will drain on their own without any help. Try not to pop your pimples while your skin is inflamed, you can damage the skin.
With acne, your skin can be very fragile and inflamed. When you use a warm compress, only press it to the skin without rubbing. Do not use an abrasive washcloth when cleansing, instead gently massage your skin with your fingertips. The more you irritate your skin, the more oil it will produce to try and protect it.
Important notes: Severe acne usually needs more than just daily cleansing. Since acne has a variety of causes, you may need to make several changes in your daily routine to help combat it. You will need to do things like avoid trigger foods, lower your refined carbohydrate intake (cookies, bread, crackers, cake, etc.), change your skin products, and possibly even see a doctor. For any case, using a warm compress can easily be added to any skin care routine.
Helpful Home Tips for Acne
Along with warm compresses and daily skin care, you can try these other helpful tips at home to keep acne under control. If you have severe acne, work with your dermatologist or doctor and make sure they know any treatments you are using at home. Here are some tips you can try:
1. Wash two times a day when it’s hot
In the heat of summer you will sweat more. This will cause your glands to be more active. Along with sweat you will produce more sebum that can trap dirt in your pores. If you are hot and sweaty, do twice daily washes.
2. Use gentle products
The more harsh the soap, the worse acne gets. Harsh drying products will only make your skin produce more oil and sebum to make up for what you wash off. Plus, harsh soaps can irritate your skin worse.
3. Use tepid water for rinsing
Hot water can irritate and dry the skin. Cool water will close the pores up. Use a water temp that is not too hot or too cold.
4. Wash your hair often
You may not believe it, but washing your hair can help reduce acne. If you have long hair that touches near your face, you should wash it every day to get the oils off. This will avoid the transfer of oil to your face.
5. Leave things alone
Sometimes, the best treatment for angry skin is to leave it alone. Too much treatment on irritated acne prone skin will only irritate it more and make things worse. You also put yourself at higher risk of acne scarring. If you try warm compresses for acne and these other tips for a week or so and they don’t seem to work, just go back to face washing only. No popping pimples. No harsh acne medications. Just leave things alone for a bit.
6. See a dermatologist
If warm compress for acne and other remedies don‘t work, and you have severe acne, you may need to see a dermatologist. Talk to a dermatologist if you notice:
- Appearance of acne scars
- Skin products are causing extreme redness
- Signs of infection (open pimples that are oozing, pain to the touch)
- Acne is getting worse instead of better