You're not actually dealing with acne.
If your breakouts are popping up in areas like your hairline, forehead, chest, or back and look like multiple tiny red dots or pustules that are all similar in size with an absence of blackheads, you might not technically be dealing with acne.
You could actually have fungal acne (or malassezia folliculitis if you wanna get all science-y on us). While it might look similar to acne, this is actually an infection of the hair follicles and needs to be treated differently to 'normal' acne.
"If you’re not sure, I’d recommend seeing your dermatologist, as it can be tricky to diagnose if you’re not used to seeing it all the time," said Dr Armour.
"Malassezia folliculitis is readily treated
with anti-yeast topical products. Rarely, antifungal tablets are needed to treat this condition if it is particularly stubborn to treat."Your diet might be to blame.
While it's totally dependent on the individual (people have different reactions to different foods), Dr Armour said your diet might be another factor contributing to your breakouts.
"Although this is controversial, certain foods and drinks look to be a problem in those who are prone to acne in recent studies," said Dr Armour.
"These include foods with a really high glycaemic index. Think chocolate (sorry!), fried take away foods and sweets. Dairy in very large amounts can cause acne in young men. Protein supplements with whey protein may also trigger acne."
Your face mask is dirty.
If you've been getting more breakouts on your chin, jawline, and cheeks as a result of wearing a face mask, you need to make sure you always have a clean one ready to go.
"If we don’t wash re-usable masks daily, they can harbour oil, sweat, skincare, makeup and sunscreen that can block our pores," said Dr Armour.
"Please keep your skincare light and don’t wear foundation under your face mask. No one can see about your cheekbones when you’re wearing a mask, so it’s a pointless exercise, and will just cause congestion."
You're stressed.
You might be. Hormonal fluctuations and stress are the most likely causes of a sudden breakout - especially if it's all happening around your chin and jawline.
Sooo... what does this mean? Your hormones are just fluctuating and out of control? Slashing tires and smoking ciggies?
"It doesn’t always mean that the levels of hormones in that person are abnormal," explains dermatologist Dr Katherine Armour from Bespoke Skin Technology. "It can also mean that your oil glands are more sensitive to the normal circulating levels of androgens (the male hormones that us ladies also make)."
Read: Your androgen levels could be increasing the amount of sebum your skin produce, which can have a knock-on effect to acne and pimples.
"In terms of stress causing breakouts, hormones also play a role here. Stress in significant levels, can have us in perpetual 'fight or flight' mode. This tells our adrenal glands to make more stress hormones. Among these stress hormones is cortisol. When elevated, cortisol can definitely trigger outbreaks of acne."
You're not getting enough sleep.
Yep - watching re-runs of The Office until 11:59pm every night is triggering your breakouts.
Similarly to what happens when you're stressed, not getting enough sleep means that our body is exposed to continuous high levels of cortisol. No good.
"Lack of sleep disturbs our circadian rhythms in which cortisol should lower while we sleep, rest and repair. Inadequate sleep can also lead to elevated cortisol levels, and acne breakouts," confirms Dr Armour.
The best fix? Go to bed. And sleep. "Aim for eight hours sleep to deliver a clear complexion."
Source : Mamamia
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