Everything That You Need To Know About Acne Patches

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions. Acne is a skin condition that is mostly seen but not limited to teenagers. People in their 20s and 30s do suffer from this condition as well. It is a skin condition that leads to inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions on the skin. Acne can also lead to pain and discomfort and is rather difficult to get rid of.

The most common cause of acne is oily skin. When the skin produces excess sebum it can clog the skin pores and thus it leads to acne. Overexposure to sun, bacterial build-up, hormonal changes, stress, genetic and environmental factors are some other causes of acne.

And if you've ever dealt with acne, you must have searched remedies to treat it. And something that must have popped up in your search for acne treatment is acne patches. And you might have wondered what exactly is an acne patch, how to use it and does it really work? Well, through this article, we aim to provide all these answers to you. Let's begin, shall we?

What Is An Acne Patch?

Acne patches are small and round translucent stickers. An acne patch is quite similar to a bandage except it is specifically made to heal acne. It is basically a hydrocolloid dressing that helps to heal the skin wounds. Using an acne patch is kind of doing a spot treatment for the acne.

With a hydrocolloid coating on one side, acne patches help to soak up the excess fluids, oil and dirt from the zits and thus provides aid in treating acne. The best thing about acne patches is that they don't make your skin dry or leave scars behind. Let us now see how to use an acne patch.

How To Use An Acne Patch

Using an acne patch isn't much of a task. Just make sure not to pop or scratch the zits.

• Using a mild cleanser, gently cleanse your face and pat dry.
• Apply the patch on the affected area.
• Leave it on for 7-8 hours.
• Gently peel it off later.

An acne patch requires about 7 hours to do the trick, so we recommend using an acne patch before you go sleep and taking it off in the morning. If the patch worked, you will notice some white gunk when you take it off. This means that the patch has absorbed the fluids, oil and dirt it was supposed to.

Types Of Acne Patches

1. For active acne

Pain, redness and inflammation are the signs of active acne. The acne patch for this type of acne needs more than hydrocolloid dressing to heal it. Generally, these include salicylic acid and tea tree oil to deal with active acne.

2. For healing acne

If the acne is not aggravated and just needs some healing, the basic hydrocolloid acne patches work like a charm to do the job.

3. For cystic acne

When the acne is aggressive, it is called cystic acne. And the acne patches for cystic acne carry tiny needles that penetrate the skin to deal with the zits. It might sound scary, but it is quite safe and painless to use these patches.

Does It Really Work?

To put it in simple terms, yes. It does work.^[1] But you need to find out the acne patches as per the acne you're suffering from. Also, acne patches don't treat blackheads.

Acne patches not only work by absorbing the fluids and dirt from the zits but it also helps by minimising the sun exposure by covering the acne and thus helps to heal it. Also, if you've got the habit of constantly touching your face (which is not exactly a healthy practice), it helps to minimise that as well and thus prevents the condition from worsening.