How long does it take to treat skin problems?

There is no unified standard answer. Significant improvement can be seen in a few weeks, while serious chronic problems may require months or even years of maintenance. The core depends on the type and severity of the problem, and whether you have taken detours in skin care.

Last week, I met a little girl who had just entered college. She worked for seven days during the final week to study for papers. She had five or six red and swollen pimples on her forehead and chin. She didn't dare to pick at them. When I came to ask, I asked her to stop using heavy petrolatum cream. She only applied refreshing soothing essence after washing her face in the morning and evening. She applied low-concentration azelaic acid to the red and swollen pimples. She stopped making milk tea hotpot for half a month and went to bed early and didn't stay up until after two o'clock. Within 20 days, she sent me feedback. All the acne was gone, and even the red marks were so faded that they were almost invisible. She even worriedly asked me if hormones were added to the product. I turned over the ingredient list to her and was relieved. This kind of acute, small problem that only stays in the epidermis can be solved really quickly as long as you follow the right rhythm of conditioning.

If you encounter a chronic problem that has damaged the dermis, there is no need to rush. Last year, I picked up a 30-year-old sister. She used the Sanwu whitening cream sold on WeChat Moments for cheap in the past few years. When she used it, her skin was white and tender. However, when she stopped using it, she broke out in acne and became red and scalded. She developed hormone-dependent dermatitis. Her face became red and itchy when exposed to heat, and she repeatedly developed dense rashes. She was anxious at the beginning. After using repair products for half a month, she found they had no effect, so she changed them. She followed the trend and tried many Internet celebrity "repair magic tools". After half a year, the problem became worse. Later, she calmed down and strictly followed the requirements to streamline her skin care. She only wore a hat and a mask and did not dare to apply sunscreen. It took almost two years to finally be able to use ordinary whitening essences and low-concentration acids normally. Now her face is finally no longer prone to tantrums.

There are two very extreme opinions on the Internet. One is that "those with quick effects have added hormones", and the other is that "if there is no effect after a week, it is an IQ tax." In fact, both of them are quite one-sided. The former is deceived by bad products, but ignores the self-healing ability of the skin itself. For example, when the season changes in spring, it becomes red and itchy, and all effective products are stopped. Only using mild cream and applying saline for two days can fade the redness. You can't add hormones to the saline, right? The latter completely fails to respect the physiological laws of the skin. The normal metabolic cycle of the epidermis is 28 days. If there are problems that damage the dermis, such as acne pits and old chloasma, the repair cycle is calculated on a monthly or even annual basis. If you expect skin care products to disappear after just a few days, it would be faster to just go for medical aesthetics. Even medical aesthetics must be done according to the course of treatment, right?

To be honest, conditioning your skin is very similar to growing succulents. If you are just a little wilted from the sun, put it in a cool place and pour some water, and it will be strong in two or three days.； If the roots are rotten, you have to cut off the rotten parts, dry the roots and replant them. It will take several months to recover. If you can't help but water more or move out to bask in the sun, you may not be able to save it. The same is true for your skin.

If you really want to condition your skin quickly, the most important thing is never to find some "quick-act magic tool", but to first figure out where your problem lies, and don't mess around with your skin during the conditioning period. This is better than anything else.