70. Purging Part 2: How To Tell If It's Working, Purge Vs. Breakout, The Ideal Purging Timeline, & How To Really Heal After Acne Suppressants

Happy Tuesday, STT Fam! Estheticians love it and clients hate it. On this week on the podcast, we are back with a part two for our most controversial topic in the acne healing space: purging. We’re breaking down exactly what’s happening in the skin during a purge, why congestion comes to the surface all at once, and how to confidently tell the difference between a true purge and a breakout that’s being triggered by your routine. We also get into the real timeline, how long purging actually lasts, why it can show up in areas you’ve never broken out before, and whether it’s possible to purge more than once.A major focus of this episode is what happens when coming off acne suppressants like spironolactone, birth control, antibiotics, or Accutane. We talk about why these clients often experience a more intense or prolonged purge, think “starving the skin”, how hormones and the skin microbiome play a role, and whether it’s better to come off these treatments slowly or go cold turkey.We also cover the products and ingredients most likely to stimulate a purge, how to know if your routine is actually helping versus hindering your progress, and the big question, is it possible to heal acne without going through a purge at all?And if you’re currently in it, we’ve got you. We walk through a real life POV of being in the middle of a purge, what to do, how to support your skin, signs that things are improving, and how long to stay the course before reassessing. Plus, what we tell our clients when they feel like giving up.Listen to Purging 101: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5jeXB4jqeZWXv1vg2FzmwL?si=yMpeLviSTwmmyTZv4QBdAg