Caring for acne-prone skin is about more than just slathering on blemish-busting products.

It can involve lifestyle changes, too — the first of which is often a new and improved skin care routine.

Read on for some expert tips on everything from picking and popping to effective clinical treatments.

It depends on the type of acne

The simplest way to split acne is into noninflammatory and inflammatory types.

Noninflammatory

Noninflammatory acne refers to clogged pores that appear as blackheads or whiteheads.

It’s the mildest type and is easy to spot. Blackheads have a dark appearance and can appear somewhat flat against the skin. Whiteheads are small skin-colored bumps.

Inflammatory

Anything with a red or more robust appearance is essentially classified as inflammatory acne.

This can range from papules and pustules to the more severe nodules and cysts.

Papules are small red bumps, while pustules are small bumps that contain pus. Papules often turn into pustules.

Then there’s the deeper, more painful acne.

These inflamed bumps are typically larger than your usual pimple and feel as if they’re underneath the skin.

It also depends on your skin type

It’s common to link oily skin to acne.

But dry skin types can still experience acne for a number of reasons, whether it’s due to environmental factors or a poor skin care routine that irritates the skin and clogs pores.

Knowing which skin type you have can help you care for your acne in the best way possible.

First, wash your face with a mild “baby” soap. Gently pat it dry. Don’t apply any skin care products.

A couple of hours later, examine your skin. If it’s shiny, you have oily skin. If it appears flaky, rough, or red, you have dry skin.

Combination skin will appear dry on the cheeks and shiny on the forehead, nose, and chin (T-zone).

“Normal” skin, meanwhile, will have a healthy glow with no visible issues.

Bear in mind that it’s possible to be acne-prone without having dry or oily skin.

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