Although there are many effective over-the-counter treatments for mild to moderate cases of acne and prescription medicines for more severe acne, getting rid ot acne does take time and so, while the medication does its work, a lot of people are anxious to cover up their pimples as much as possible.

That said, it might be argued that since this is a common condition affecting approximately 85% of the population between the ages of about 12 and 24 you really shouldn’t worry about trying to cover it up at all since we almost all have to go through it. Nonetheless, try telling that to a young girl or boy who is heading out on that crucial first date.

Women especially tend to suffer more because, like it or not, they are judged more on their looks. But, they are also fortunate enough to have a ready-made answer in the shape of makeup.

Regular makeup however can cause problems and, although it may well cover up your spots, it can also aggravate the condition. The answer here therefore is to look for makeup that is specifically formulated for people with acne and that means makeup that is labeled as ‘non-comedogenic’. If that sounds like a strange term it is derived from the word ‘comedone’ which is the scientific name for the blackheads and whiteheads produced by most mild forms of acne.

Your first line of defense should normally be a concealer which can be dabbed onto your spots with a disposable sponge. You need to be careful though in using a concealer and use just as much as you need and no more.

Following a concealer you need to move on to a foundation which is excellent for blending your skin tones and which again needs to be used sparingly but in sufficient quantity to give you an even overall cover. Foundation is not only excellent at covering your acne spots but, since it is less reflective than your skin itself, it also softens out the shadows and reduced the contrast that is frequently produced by the bumps that occur with acne.

Lastly, a light application of powder can also assist in further evening out color tones, lessening shadows and eliminating contrast.

But what about the men? Well, there are two approaches which you can adopt here. First, you can follow the women and use makeup and you will find that there is makeup available nowadays which is specifically formulated to be used by men. However, if you don not think that this is for you then a second approach is to use one of the range of over-the-counter treatments which contain acne covering compounds designed to both help treat the condition and hide its appearance at the same time.

It would be nice if we had a proactive acne treatment that could get rid of acne fast but for the moment this is a somewhat lengthy process and so, until we have some products and treatments that cure acne quickly, effectively concealing the condition is going to be important to many sufferes for a while yet.