If you are suffering from comedomal form of acne, you should wash your face twice daily with a suitable cleanser and use oil free and non-comedogenic skin-care products especially if you have oily skin. You should avoid using heavy make-up as well as this may cause further congestion of the pores.
Diet wise, it helps to reduce intake of dairy products, carhohydrates especially refined sugars, fatty foods, foods with preservatives. If you smoke and lead a stressful lifestyle, try cutting down on smoking and reducing stress where possible. This will help greatly with whatever form of acne you are facing.
You can also use mild facial scrubs once weekly or once every two weeks to remove the slough and dead skin that’s accumulated on the skin. This will enhance the extrusion of sebum from pores and reduce comedones.
You can also try topical off-the-counter skincare products that contain comedolytic ingredients like salicylic acid, azelaic acid, glycolic acid which will help with reducing comdomes. For persistent cases, topical retinoids like tretinoin, isotretinoin and adapalene which require a doctor’s prescription are useful as they increase cell turnover and prevent buildup of sebum in the skin pores, reducing the formation of comedomes.
For severe cases, there are oral medications which include hormonal therapy and oral isotretinoin which help to reduce the activity of sebaceous glands, and hence reduce the formation of comdomes. However, these come with certain side effects and you should always consult a doctor prior to taking these medications. Procedures like electrocautery and comedome extraction, microdermabrasion and radiofrequency microneedling are useful to treat comdomal acne as well.
