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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Need advice on face care
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
Welcome to the DERMATOLOGY FORUM! Questions in this forum are answered by Dermatologists from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, under the direction of Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H.
Need advice on face care
by bkb4ver, Sep 06, 2004 12:00AM
I am going through a dilemma on how to take care of my face. First I will list some backround information on my face. I have red spots on my cheeks, left from where I use to have pimples. They have been there for about 5 months. A few times they looked like they were fading and going away but everytime they always "come" back. My regimen for 3 months has been taking Zinc 45mg, Vitamin A 8000 IU, Copper 2mg, a multi-vitamin(zinc 15mg, vitamin A 5000IU), and washing my face by hand twice a day(w/ gilette complete skincare soap) and applying lotion afterwards. With this regimen I have not noticed any new breakouts.
Now here are the delimmas I am going through. First dilemma is to put on lotion or not. If I put on lotion does that keep my skin healthy so that it dies and sheds less often? Should I not put on lotion so that my skin will flake off these red marks faster?
Second dilemma is should I exfoliate or not exfoliate, and if exfoliate how-to without irritating. Dead clumps of skin seem to emerge from several red marks where bad pimples use to be. It seems that if I don't exfoliate the dead skin off these redspots then it tends to build up and cause irritation and inflammation. What I currently do is soak my face in water until my skin becomes really soft, and scrape off the dead skin with the edge of a folded paper towel. Sometimes the dead skin comes off easily, but other times they don't come off easily. Is that safe or is that just like picking at my red marks and provoking them to worsen? Is there a safe way to exfoliate skin without irritating these easily irritated red marks? Or should I just leave my face alone and let the dead skin fall off by themselves.
Thanks for the help.
Now here are the delimmas I am going through. First dilemma is to put on lotion or not. If I put on lotion does that keep my skin healthy so that it dies and sheds less often? Should I not put on lotion so that my skin will flake off these red marks faster?
Second dilemma is should I exfoliate or not exfoliate, and if exfoliate how-to without irritating. Dead clumps of skin seem to emerge from several red marks where bad pimples use to be. It seems that if I don't exfoliate the dead skin off these redspots then it tends to build up and cause irritation and inflammation. What I currently do is soak my face in water until my skin becomes really soft, and scrape off the dead skin with the edge of a folded paper towel. Sometimes the dead skin comes off easily, but other times they don't come off easily. Is that safe or is that just like picking at my red marks and provoking them to worsen? Is there a safe way to exfoliate skin without irritating these easily irritated red marks? Or should I just leave my face alone and let the dead skin fall off by themselves.
Thanks for the help.
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Sep 07, 2004 12:00AM
, Sep 07, 2004 12:00AM
I don't think that rubbing your skin with a paper towel is such a good idea. There are gentler ways to exfoliate, either by products containing salicylic acid or by having an esthetician perform a glycolic acid peel or microdermabrasion.
Moisturizing is not necessary for skin health.
My advice is to consult a good esthetician, perhaps one affiliated with a dermatologist, who can assess your persistent pimples. Meantime, please leave your face and your spots alone as much as possible.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
Moisturizing is not necessary for skin health.
My advice is to consult a good esthetician, perhaps one affiliated with a dermatologist, who can assess your persistent pimples. Meantime, please leave your face and your spots alone as much as possible.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
I read an article about moisturizers that quotes "Cosmetic moisturizers do not moisturize the skin, but only block the normal loss of water from the skin's surface. For very dry skin that has excessive water loss, these products can be helpful for a time. But they also hydrate (wet) and loosen the skin's protective outer proteins and degrade the protective qualities of these proteins."
Would you say that the above statement is true, and would it be better that I stop using a lotion during the healing process of my skin?
Dr. Rockoff