Research indicates that acne patients, for various reasons, often do not follow the skin care regimen that has been prescribed for them. Studies have also shown that this lack of adherence is one of the main reasons that many acne treatments fail to work.
Clients may not fully understand what they are supposed to do, possibly due to unclear instructions from their skin care provider. Acne treatment products may also lead to unpleasant side effects early on in treatment, if acne clients are not made aware of this; they may use products inconsistently or may just stop using them completely. Also, if the client does not see immediate results from their treatment, they may believe that the skin care regimen is not working. All of these problems – lack of understanding, poor communication by skin care professionals, and misconceptions on the part of the acne patient can all lead to poor adherence and may lead the client to discontinue treatment.
We recently conducted a survey of our clients and found that those who closely followed the skin care regimen we had given them were far more likely to get clear, and were more likely to get clear faster. 92% of clients who followed their regimen completely were clear within 6 months, compared to only 28% of those who did not follow their regimens.
At Face Reality, we tell our clients from day one how important it is to stick to the regimen that we give them. We explain that the products they are using prevent the new acne from forming and that if they skip their homecare that new “microcomedones” get started inside the pore. Those new acne lesions will make their appearance anywhere from 1 to 3 months later. So, you may think that you are getting away with skipping homecare because you don’t see anything right away, but it catches up to you down the road.
We also encourage them to ask us questions at any time if they do not understand what they are supposed to do or if they are having problems with their skin care regimen. This education about regimen adherence is such an important factor for getting clear; that we also regularly check in with our clients to make sure that they are following it correctly. In my experience, a little nagging from us is well worth it if it helps to get our acne clients clear.
