It always seems that when you’re having the best skin of your life and everything is going well, SUDDENLY your “favorite little friends” decide to pay a visit. Yes, I’m talking about sudden acne. Skin breakouts are the worst because they’re unexpected, you never know when they’re going to leave, and if handled the wrong way they can leave behind scars.

So how do I get rid of breakouts as soon as possible without leaving a scar? 

Our immediate reaction when encountering these breakouts is to go in a state of panic, but do not fear because there are some concrete steps you can follow. Below, I’m sharing my process on how to prevent and treat these pesky blemishes! Get ready to confidently face skin breakouts from now on.

Related reading: Preventing Acne in College: A CF Survival Guide

Table of Contents

1. Don’t Pick Your Pimples!

First things first when you’re breaking out — don’t touch the zits. (!!!)

Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days, you say (cue Hannah Montana’s “Nobody’s Perfect”). However, you need to try as hard as you can to not make this particular mistake when you have acne.

I can’t emphasize this enough — do not pick your pimples! Not only does picking spread bacteria (which can trigger additional breakouts) and create scars, but it’ll elongate the healing process for your breakout. So basically it makes EVERYTHING worse. Don’t do it.

2. Identify the Type of Breakout You’re Having

Whiteheads

If your skin breakouts mainly consist of whiteheads, that usually means that you’re under-exfoliating. If you don’t properly exfoliate on a regular basis, your dead skin cells can pile up and block your pores, which causes oil to build and whiteheads to appear. Exfoliating is just as important as cleanser to your skincare routine because it allows new skin cells to appear and for skincare products to effectively absorb into the skin.