So I want to share a product that I found really useful ever since I found out about it. I was watching some random night routine videos on YouTube when a YouTuber mentioned that she used acne patches on her acne when she got home from work/school to help her skin heal quickly and keep it from scarring. The product immediately caught my attention. These acne patches are easily available in pharmacies and big supermarkets in Pakistan now.
My main worry, whenever I get a zit or a pimple on my face, is the scar it leaves behind. Chances are, if you use makeup regularly, you get some breakouts pretty often. This shouldn’t happen ideally if you have a good skincare care routine. But it happens. We all know that. Even if you don’t use makeup, you still might get zits due to all the dust in the environment, bad eating habits etc. Anyways, the scar takes ages to go away. I get really impatient/irritated when I get a pimple and keep touching it(I know..gross, right?) to get rid of it somehow and end up getting a scar on my skin because I just don’t allow my skin to heal at its own pace. So these patches really help me forget I have a zit on my face and minimize irritation after I stick it on resulting in minimum scarring.
The patches are made of hydrocolloid which is a pretty popular material used in making wound dressings worldwide. These patches are breathable. I searched a little on the internet about what hydrocolloid dressings are and this is what I found:
“Hydrocolloids are a type of dressing containing gel-forming agents, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) and gelatin. In many products, these are combined with elastomers and adhesives and applied to a carrier – usually, polyurethane foam or film, to form an absorbent, self-adhesive, waterproof wafer.”
In the presence of wound exudate, hydrocolloids absorb liquid and form a gel, the properties of which are determined by the nature of the formulation. Some dressings form a cohesive gel, which is largely contained within the adhesive matrix; others form more mobile, less viscous gels which are not retained within the dressing structure.
In the intact state most hydrocolloids are impermeable to water vapor, but as the gelling process takes place, the dressing becomes progressively more permeable. The loss of water through the dressing in this way enhances the ability of the product to cope with exudate production.
One feature of hydrocolloids that is appreciated by clinicians is wet tack; unlike most dressings, they can adhere to a moist site as well as a dry one.
Hydrocolloids are easy to use, require changing only every 3-5 days, and do not cause trauma on removal. This makes them useful for clean, granulating, superficial wounds, with low to medium exudate.
Moreover, I found out that hydrocolloid wound dressings have been in use for some 20 years, and have rarely been associated with allergic reactions.
Let’s talk about its price. This pack of 24 acne patches costs less than Rs. 200 which I think is pretty reasonable considering how much oils and stuff to remove acne scars cost. However, these could be costly or wouldn’t help much if you have a lot of acne or have some other skin condition causing acne. For that, I would recommend you should visit a doctor and get proper medication. However, these could help you to reduce scarring and control irritation. I also recommend a proper skin cleansing routine to avoid pimples as much as possible.
The instructions on the pack recommend you to stick these patches on at night and could keep them on as long as you feel like the patch is clean and usable. Hydrocolloid dressings can be kept on for 3-5 days however it's best if you use one patch for 12 to 24 hours. They are transparent so they aren’t really visible if you wear them on your skin during daytime either if you don’t have makeup on.
This product really isn’t just for people who use makeup. Most people deal with pimples and zits one time or another. So do give it a try.
Comments
Post a Comment