Acne is one of the most common skin problems seen in adolescents and women, especially during their menstruation days. Acne can be in the form of blackheads/ whiteheads or pimples mainly on the face, neck, back and arms. It is characterised by red eruptions that are usually filled with oil, secreted by overactive oil glands in the hair follicles. Although acne is not a deadly disease or condition, if often scars a person’s self-image and confidence.
Before one tries to find solutions to treat acne, whether it is occasional breakouts or severe conditions, it is important to understand what causes them.
Here are 7 surprisingly common causes of acne that you may not be aware of:
1. Hair-styling products
- Breakouts caused by hair-care products are so common, there’s a name for them: pomade acne.
- Styling products seep oil onto the forehead, which can trap acne-causing bacteria in your pores.
- Clogged pores become inflamed and result in redness, pus and, ultimately, blackheads and whiteheads along the hairline and forehead.
- Your hairstyle matters too: Bangs make acne worse by bringing skin-clogging hair products right against your forehead.
2. Cell phones
- Cell phones are exposed to many surfaces throughout the day that have bacteria on them.
- When you’re talking on it, you’re putting bacteria close to your mouth, and the warmth and moisture create a great environment for bacteria to thrive and cause acne.
- Plus, if you’re constantly on your cell phone (or regular phone, for that matter), rubbing it against your face can lead to “acne mechanica,” pimples caused by friction.
3. Skin-care products
- On an average, women try 5-8 new cosmetic products a year. That’s good for the cosmetic industry but bad for your skin. Switching products or adding a new one before giving it a chance to work “challenges your skin" with new preservatives and active ingredients, which can be irritating and cause breakouts.
- Even anti-acne products can cause blemishes if you use too many.
- Your makeup remover and other pore-clogging cosmetics can combine with your natural skin oil to cause breakouts called acne cosmetica.
4. Increased stress
- Are you worrying about that deadline for a big project? Relationship troubles keeping you up at night? While stress alone can’t spark breakouts, it can exacerbate them.
- While scientists are yet to figure the exact relationship between stress and acne, it is known that the cells that produce sebum or oil also act as stress receptors. Studies suggest that when a person is under stress, these cells produce excessive sebum that clogs pores on the skin leading to pimples.
- Even “good” stress, like vacationing or getting ready for a big celebration, triggers breakouts. That’s why a huge pimple pops up on your wedding day or before a big date.
5. Diet
- Food usually doesn't cause acne directly but can cause other problems such as greasy skin that is linked to acne. However, foods high in iodides such as seaweeds consumed over time can cause acne.
- The latest scientific evidence suggests that high-carbohydrate diets may predispose you to acne.
- Making big changes to your diet may also trigger acne.
6. Travelling
- As a result of travelling too often, there is constant change in the environment - humidity, weather and even water (minerals, fluoride or other elements) - all of which triggers acne. Your skin is being challenged at all times and so it reacts by breaking out.
- Also, sunscreens that you use during travelling, especially physical sunscreens, which include zinc oxide or titanium oxide, may prompt more sweating beneath them and thus, more acne.
7. Dry skin
- It’s true that oily skin is the cause of bad breakouts, but so is the other extreme. “Dry skin can have microscopic cracks and fissures in which bacteria can multiply and cause acne, plus dry skin flakes can clog pores.
Now that you are aware of these common causes, you should also know that persistent acne may turn into an infection. Remember to ask a dermatologist for an oil reducing formula and the right treatment for your acne.