Our experts carry out acne treatment in Brighton for all manner of clients, from those suffering because they have gone through the hormonal changes of puberty through to adults who have persistently bad skin and want to do something about it.
Of course, many will want to have a daily routine that helps keep their face acne-free, such as regularly using cleansers, exfoliates and other treatments. But it seems some activities may be counter-productive, such as taking a shower in the evening. You may think that will send you to bed with healthier skin, but it could backfire.
Speaking to the Daily Express, Max Stevens from The Sleep Checklist warned that having wet hair when you go to bed can have very unpleasant consequences. As well as causing hair damage, he noted that wet hair and moisture could encourage the growth of bacteria on pillows, which in turn could lead to skin problems like acne and dandruff.
Another problem with wet bedtime hair was highlighted by Sleep expert Terry Cralle, who pointed out: “The scalp sweats when the head is covered in moisture and doesn’t dry out because of the layer of water on top.” Not only is this bad for hair, but it means oily skin will be made worse by the presence of extra moisture.
So, even in the midst of warnings primarily about the negative effects of wet hair, it is clear that your skin could suffer too.
In fact, washing your skin a lot is not actually very helpful. The NHS website’s advice for acne sufferers states that affected areas should not be washed more than twice a day, as “frequent washing can irritate the skin and make symptoms worse”.
It added that washing should be done with lukewarm water and not hot, which might also conflict with some people’s showering preferences.
So when it comes to getting your face and hair wet while tackling acne, it seems less really is more.