How long does it take to treat skin problems?

There is no uniform fixed length of time. In mild cases, significant improvement can be seen in a week or two, while in severe cases, it may take 3 months to half a year or even longer to be completely stable.

I have been doing skin management for seven or eight years, and this is the question I have been asked the most. To be honest, I don’t dare to give you accurate answers. After all, everyone’s skin type, type of problem, and the degree of previous skin care are all very different. Not long ago, I picked up a girl who was just entering her junior year. She had five or six red and swollen pimples, but she didn't pick them at all. When she came here, the inflammation was still in the early stages. I gave her some low-concentration azelaic acid anti-acne gel, and told her not to eat sweets and stay up late. She didn't even do any theater projects. In about 10 days, she sent me feedback that all the pimples were gone, and not even the red pimple marks were left. She is a typical example of good luck and good cooperation.

But don’t think that all problems can be solved so quickly. I was deeply impressed by a 22-year-old young man who started breaking out in cysts and acne in high school. He bought a lot of online celebrity ointments and micro-commerce acne products and applied them. When he arrived here, his cheeks were all red and bloodshot. As soon as he entered the air-conditioned room, his face became very hot. Stinging and itching were common, and cysts and acne continued to appear one after another. This was already a situation of hormone dependence + severe damage to the barrier + severe acne. The treatment had to be done step by step, first desensitizing and repairing the barrier, and then slowly reducing inflammation and removing acne. It took almost five months to stabilize the condition. In the meantime, he also had two acne breakouts because he couldn't help but eat butter hotpot twice. He even sighed and said he would have known better not to fool around.

Speaking of this, someone must mention the classic "28-day skin metabolism cycle" saying that no matter what the problem is, the effect will definitely be seen in one cycle. This is actually only half right. 28 days is the epidermal replacement time of healthy skin around the age of 18-25. If you are over 30 and your metabolism slows down, the epidermal replacement time may be extended to 40 days or even longer. If the skin still has inflammation and barrier damage problems, the metabolic cycle will be further slowed down. If the problem has already damaged the dermis, such as dark brown acne marks, chloasma, or severe hormone-induced face, the repair will also involve the regeneration of collagen and inflammation metabolism in the dermis, and the time it will take is even more uncertain.

Don't believe the "acne removal in 7 days" and "spot lightening in 28 days" promotions on the market. Most of them prey on people's desire for quick results. Or the products add hormones and banned whitening ingredients to suppress inflammation and peel off the surface cuticles in a short time. It may seem effective, but in fact it is overdrafting the health of the skin, which will lead to more serious problems later. Last time, a 30-year-old sister came to treat melasma. She said that she had applied for tens of thousands of spot treatments at a beauty salon. They said she could get rid of her spots in 28 days. However, within half a month of applying their customized products, her face started to become red and peeling, and her spots were deeper than before. She came to me for almost two months to repair her skin before she dared to start taking care of her spots. It took me half a year to reduce the color of the spots to the point where they were almost invisible.

In fact, caring for the skin is really similar to raising potted plants. If the surface of the leaves is just a little dusty, or a little wilted due to lack of water, just wipe it and water it, and it will be relieved in two or three days.； If the roots are rotten and the soil is compacted, you have to trim the rotten roots first, replace the soil with the pot, and slowly wait for it to regenerate new roots and fill the pot. How can you be quick? And you have to cooperate on your own, stay up until two or three o'clock every day, and keep the milk tea hotpot in hand. No matter how good the product is, no matter how many projects you do, the recovery speed will be reduced by half. You really don't need to stare at your face and worry every day, just follow the steps, and the results will come.