Breakout Stakeout - Common Causes of Adult Acne

Have you ever had an acne breakout as an adult that you didn't try to explain yourself?  In my experience, people who break out pretty regularly have read and watched enough on social media to have quite a few ideas on what's causing their problem.  Sometimes they're right.  

But many, many adult acne sufferers don't have that kind of experience.  To them, their breakouts are just baffling.  They have no idea what's causing them. Shockingly, at least 60% of my adult acne clientele never had acne as teens!

My job as a specialist in adult acne is to help my clients examine their daily habits, diet, hormonal history, medical history, and products, as well as have a visual picture of their breakouts by being sent photos, to determine and navigate through all possibilities for causes of their breakouts.

I'd like to share some of those possibilities.

Stubborn Acne Around the Chin and Mouth

As an Esthetician specializing in Adult Acne and Sensitivity, acne in pores where oil glands are larger due to being located in the “T-Zone” but where pore sizes are smaller due to facial contours, is the most common problem I see in my clients, both in the salon and in my online adult acne coaching service across the nation.  Excess oil from all kinds of hormonal changes rush into pores causing inflammation of pore linings, resulting in swelling, redness and pain.

These areas of larger glands and smaller pores are located on the sides of the chin, around the mouth, the inner cheeks, and between the brows.  Sometimes, the sides of the chin will also extend to the inner jawline and lower cheeks.  

Working Out with Adult Acne

We’re edging toward the end of winter, and your workout resolution is well under way.  Or, your regular workout routine has been under way for a long time.  Either way, this is often the time I get asked about the best way to keep acne clear with a workout schedule that seems to interfere too often with keeping skin healthy.  How do you avoid over- or under-washing the skin with workouts, and how to keep skin hydrated enough?

Wedding Prep for Adult Acne

The fact that right now is not “wedding season” is precisely the point of this post. 

In the 20+ years that I have been specializing in Adult Acne, I’ve had people contact me just a few weeks before their wedding (a few people, even just 2 weeks ahead), to book a facial to get rid of their breakouts.  

If someone tells me her breakouts are very recent from stress, that’s one thing.  In that instance I tell her a facial will exfoliate, calm and hydrate her skin to prep for better makeup application, but when it comes to clearing her breakout, I tell her it’s actually best to treat it at home with my Ice Therapy technique twice a day.

What does Comedogenic mean?

For those of you with Adult Acne, this is real information you don't want to miss!

I’m sure you’ve seen this term before.  
Comedogenic.  
Let's break it down;  

comedo = an impaction of varying size containing a mixture of sebum (fancy name for our skin’s oil) and dead skin cells, often known as a “blackhead”;  

genic = creating.  

 

Easy Fixes For Hairline Breakouts

Acne can pop up anywhere -- on your face, your back, your chest, and, quite commonly... your hairline. Fortunately, there are some relatively easy fixes for hairline breakouts as they might be occurring due to your environment, or personal habits.

If you break out along the periphery of your face, read this checklist to find out what the problem may be: