You’ve probably seen many companies releasing new acne patches in the market, but they boil down to three main categories. And it is important to know which ones you should go for.
Types Of Acne
Pimples come in many sizes, shapes, and pain levels. While pimple sizes vary, there are only two types of acne that you can get: inflammatory and non-inflammatory.
Non-inflammatory acne includes blackheads and whiteheads. We usually find this acne on the surface of the skin, especially around the cheek or the nose area. They are painless and easy to treat. Using a product that has AHA or BHA will remove the dead skin and help with this type of acne.
Inflammatory acne is usually painful, swollen, and red. The root of this type of pimple comes from the deeper layers of the skin. They take more time to recover and are more likely to develop scars and hyperpigmentation on the skin.
Pimple Patches
Pimple patches are also known as hydrocolloid bandages or stickers. They help suck out all the trapped gunk and oil from within the pimple. Material that makes up the pimple patches contains a gel-forming agent like pectin or gelatin. This acts as a moisture barrier that speeds up the skin-healing process and also covers the area so it doesn’t inflame even more or gets influenced by different bacteria from the environment. Pimple patches are also great at keeping out UVB rays when you are outside. There are a lot of different brands of pimple patches, but they all fall into three main categories.
Just The Patch
These patches are regular hydrocolloid bandages or patches. They don’t have any active ingredients. They come in different consistencies and colors. Hydrocolloid protects the skin by covering up the pimple and helps to absorb whatever comes out of the pimple. Make sure you don’t put the patch on after the moisturizer or facial oil, because it can slip around.
Pimple Patch With Active Ingredients
This is essentially the same as the first type, but with some acne-fighting ingredient. The most popular ones are salicylic acid or tea tree oil. They are infused into the gel of the hydrocolloid patch. Therefore, while the patch is on the face, it is also doing some work in delivering the ingredients to calm and soothe the area.
Microdot Pimple Patches
This is the latest development in the skincare patches. These patches look like the typical hydrocolloid bandage, except that they have laid into them self-dissolving microdots that puncture through just the very surface of the skin. This helps to deliver the active ingredients straight to the center of the pimple.
