I have helped many people resolve their skin problems. Acne and Rosacea are emotionally debilitating conditions that can, also, unfortunately, leave physical scarring. In my experience both conditions can improve dramatically when we are no longer treating the symptoms of these disorders. Since 1986 I have been fortunate to retain many of my original clients. Because of their loyalty, I was able to study the changes that occurred in their skin as I sought the answers to clogged pores, redness, and infection.
What causes acne? Here are some of the challenges and facts I have found to be true when attempting to heal acne.
WATER BY ITSELF IS VERY DRYING. AVOID WATER ON YOUR FACE IN THE SHOWER.
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Over drying the surface of the skin will create an overproduction of sebum as a response. Avoid direct contact with water in the shower and this will reduce dryness dramatically. There are 15 sebaceous glands in a square centimeter of skin. (These glands are not to be confused with sweat glands. Sweat glands produce 98% water and 2% salt. Sweat glands are microscopic - we cannot see them with the naked eye. They are not the glands that clog the pores that you see.) Sebaceous glands produce a mixture of lipids. According to Wikipedia:
12% squalene (what we commonly call oil).
16% free fatty acids.
25% wax monesters.
41% triglycerides
FRICTION, RUBBING, SCRUBBING CREATES CALLOUS TO TRAP SEBUM IN YOUR PORES.
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Callous is an especially toughened area of skin which becomes thick and hard in response to repeated friction, pressure or other irritation. To your naked eye, you may not realize that there is callous. It does not look as coarse as the callous on your feet - but believe me, there are strong layers of skin over and around clogged pores and it traps in the sebum and infection. (This is why the general remedy is to exfoliate.) Having spent years extracting clogged pores in my clients’ skins - I know how “tough” the skin can be. It requires force to remove a clogged pore. Callous is created by messages sent to the brain through your nerve endings when you rub and scrub. It does this to protect you from the mechanical stress of friction. It is not any different than than a callous on your feet from not wearing socks in your shoes or on your finger when doing a lot of writing. It is a natural protection produced by the body.
DRYING CLEANSERS AND EXFOLIANTS TREAT THE SYMPTOMS ONLY.
For decades the general approach has been to burn, and exfoliate in order to clear the pores of the callous buildup over and around the pores. The problem with this is that your skin will not allow you to damage it without it having a reaction. Mechanical and chemical exfoliation smooth the skin through burning and tearing. In response to the pain inflicted on the skin, more layers of callous and oil build up. Your body will not let you hurt it without a reaction. So around and around we go. Eventually it can look hard and shiny, but can still be clogged and infected. In my experience, constant heavy exfoliation can leave the skin with stretched open pores as they have not been able to heal together from the constant drying and burning.
In my experience, Rosacea, is definitely connected to severe dryness in the skin and it is a slow process to heal. When the dryness is resolved, however, my observations have seen redness change dramatically over time. Fair skinned people seem far more prone to Rosacea, and it is the delicacy of the fair skin that makes them vulnerable. Fair skin can get drier much faster than a darker skin tone. Again, in my experience, if your skin is not dry, it will not be red and pimples can heal. Typically, in what I have seen, Rosacea pimples are not deep, but they can be constant. I believe it is the constant dryness and cracking of the skin that makes it vulnerable to infection.
Healing acne or Rosacea is not a quick fix. But imagine waking up in the morning and seeing your skin less red, the pimples healing more quickly and without deep scaring - Your skin is no longer a confused mixture of excessive oiliness and dryness. That is when you know your skin is healing. The body will show you that it can change. Typically, clients experience a similar healing pattern. Tightness is the first symptom to change. Then oiliness, and eventually the rate of infection and the length of time an infection will last. Reduction in redness can also be seen within a few months, particularly in the morning before you become active in the day. Eventually, pores will become smaller, (regular extraction by a professional esthetician can speed that process) scarring heals, and normal color returns. You will feel at peace with your skin.
I have developed simple techniques for handling the skin that will no longer create any messages of stress. The Dzialo Skin Care line works in conjunction with these principals of NOT damaging the skin in order to improve it. I sincerely hope that the testimonials will encourage you to explore a new way to allow your skin to heal. Please see Understanding Your Skin and the Tutorial Videos.
