Get Rid of a Spot Quickly and Easily Using Salicylic Acid

Got a pesky spot which has come up at the most inconvenient of times? Got a date or a special event in a couple of days and ruined your blemish will ruin your luck? Follow this salicylic acid method and the spot should disappear in no time.

Note that that this will not work in just a couple of hours. It may work overnight if you are lucky but in most cases it takes at least 2-3 days for the spot to completely disappear. However,if you follow the steps at night, when you wake up in the morning you should see a slight improvement in the appearance of your blemish!

Steps

 * 1) Visit your local drug store. Buy the following items:
 * 2) *Q-tips and cotton pads - tissue paper could be used instead but are not as good
 * 3) *Salicylic acid
 * 4) *Reputable medicated face wash, something made for deep pore cleansing
 * 5) *Toner containing witch hazel - or simply buy some witch hazel (note that toner containing alcohol will help dry up the spot and get rid of it faster)
 * 6) *A cleanser
 * 7) *A light moisturizer medicated to treat spots.
 * 8) Splash your face with warm, but not hot, water for a couple of minutes to open pores. You could try steaming your face, but not every day, as it can make your skin dry. Try steaming with some essential oils such as tea tree or lavender.
 * 9) Do not dry your face. Apply some face wash/scrub to your face and your neck if it is an affected area. Work into a lather. Leave for a couple of moments, then rinse well with cool, but not cold, water. When all of the wash has been rinsed off, splash your face with cold water; make it as cold as you can stand it. Do this for a minute or two to close the pores.
 * 10) If you have a cleanser, apply some to the cotton wool and sweep gently over the face. If you just have one spot to target, then simply hold the cotton wool soaked with cleanser on the spot for a minute or two. No need to rinse it off. Do the same with the witch hazel/toner/alcohol.
 * 11) Apply some salicylic acid to one end of your Q tip. If you have bought the pads, a clever tip is to simply 'poke' one of the pads with the Q tip, so that some of the product transfers to the Q tip. However, if you have a large area to target, simply use a pad or a cotton wool pad with salicylic acid on it.
 * 12) Soak the opposite end of the Q tip (the end without acid) in hot water. Apply this end of the Q tip to the blemish you wish to get rid of. Hold it for a couple of seconds. Lift it off, then quickly just dab with a towel to get rid of the water,then quickly put the other end of the Q tip, with the acid on, onto the blemish. Ensure that you cover the whole blemish in the treatment. It may sting but this just means its working; however, if you have very sensitive skin, do not keep the treatment on for too long.
 * 13) When the blemish has been covered, leave to air dry.
 * 14) Once the blemish has been given at least 5 minutes to dry, you may apply a light moisturizer if desired. When you wake up in the morning, (or late at night when you go to bed if you have done the treatment in the afternoon), try putting some soft soap on the blemish. Just put some on your (clean) finger or a Q tip; dab it on and leave to dry. You could try doing this with sudocrem or toothpaste as these are also proven methods.
 * 15) Drink lots of water and eat fruit, as this can help. When you wake up, you may find that a whitehead has appeared. For many people, the best thing to do is to just get rid of it. Gently wash your face and steam and cleanse if desired, then apply a warm compress, or cotton wool which has been soaked in hot water, to the blemish. Pat dry if needed, then using clean fingers, simply apply pressure and it should pop. If it will not come out, or you are leaving 'nail marks', leave it . You may find in an hour or two it is okay. Whether it pops or not, apply some witch hazel/toner/alcohol and some treatment cream. Apply a plaster if you think you will be tempted to pick at it, then leave it. Check back later and see if you can pop it.

Tips

 * Drink lots of water and eat plenty of fruit and veg-green apples, carrots, strawberries and bananas are all good.
 * If you don't like drinking plain water, try drinking flavoured sparkling water. Even adding a piece of fruit to water can flavour it well.
 * There is no proof that eating chocolate etc., affects your skin; just eat lots of fruit to get vitamins, drink water to flush out toxins and maintain a good skin regime. Make sure to remove any make up using the correct remover and wash and cleanse your face (minimum treatment) once or twice a day.
 * Do not pick at blemishes. If you must pop a spot, make sure your hands are clean; wash them well.

Warnings

 * Repeated treatment with salicylic acid can cause dry skin, so use a good moisturizer-do not use a heavy one.
 * This method is not suitable for aged or dry skins.