Can’t wear makeup if you have acne?

Too absolute

Acne is a common skin problem that primarily affects people aged 15 to 40. It often has a significant impact on quality of life and can cause social, psychological and emotional problems.

In fact, cosmetics themselves generally do not directly cause the recurrence or aggravation of acne, but improper selection or use of cosmetics may induce or aggravate acne problems.

On the other hand, from the perspective of group needs, for many female acne patients, cosmetics are an important tool to improve appearance and quality of life, and can help cover up skin problems such as closed comedones, blackheads, inflammatory papules, etc. Although some people (including doctors) advise acne patients to avoid makeup, fearing that cosmetics may aggravate acne or affect the effectiveness of treatment, this advice ignores the social and professional needs of patients, as well as the long-term impact of acne on quality of life.

In addition, many studies have shown that under standardized drug treatment, the reasonable use of cosmetics does not significantly affect the treatment effect of acne. The use of cosmetics can improve the patient's quality of life and may even increase the patient's compliance with treatment.

Rather than blindly avoiding makeup, acne patients should be advised to pay attention to some details when using cosmetics, such as: choosing non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic products, using light sunscreen and foundation, using concealer products topically (but avoid over-concealing), gently removing makeup, and keeping the skin moderately clean and moisturized.

In summary, if acne patients have a need for makeup, they can use makeup moderately to improve their quality of life and appearance, while paying attention to continuing to use standardized medications to treat existing acne.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital