Getting pimples and dealing with acne when you were a teenager was annoying. But at that point in time, there was a light at the end of the tunnel: The thought that once you were an adult, your acne problems would go away.
The thing is, now you’re an adult and you’re still seeing the occasional pimple, or worse, experiencing full-fledged breakouts. What gives?
As it turns out, there are several things that can trigger acne breakouts, from what you might expect to a few causes that might surprise you.
Your Diet
Although people have long said that eating greasy foods and binging on chocolate won’t lead to acne, that can be a link between breakouts .and your diet. While there is still more research to be done on the subject, some studies have suggested that for some people, eating foods that contain a lot of sugar can trigger an acne breakout. Dairy products can also lead to breakouts in some.
If you think your dietary choices are behind your pimple problems, try cutting out dairy or cutting back on sugar to see if that helps to improve them.
Your Skincare and Beauty Products
A range of skincare, hair care and beauty products could at fault if you find yourself breaking out frequently. Take a look at the ingredients list of the products you usually apply to your face. If those products contain any ingredients that can clog pores, such as mineral oils, that’s probably what’s to blame. If you usually use hair spray or leave-in conditioner, those products might also be triggering your pimples.
In some cases, using products that are too harsh for your skin or going overboard with certain products or skincare habits can make pimples worse. If you’re exfoliating with a scrub or brush everyday, try cutting back to once a week or at most, a few times a week. A complexion analysis can help you determine which products will provide the greatest benefit to your skin, minus the pimples.
Your Medications
If you are taking certain types of medicine, those might be what causes you to break out. For example, lithium and corticosteroids are two examples of prescription medications that can make acne worse. Although in many cases birth control pills can help minimize and improve acne, some birth control medications do make it worse
Your Significant Other
In some cases, your partner’s skin and hair might be what’s triggering your breakouts. If your partner has oily skin and you regularly cuddle or snuggle with him or her, the oil from his or her skin can transfer to yours, clogging yours pores and causing pimples. The same is true if your partner has facial hair and uses certain hair oils or beard care products in it.
Your Everyday Objects
Think of all the objects and items that your face comes into contact with daily. You might put sunglasses or eyeglasses on, you might hold a cellphone or landline up to your ear, you might put your hands up to your face. The friction created by those items touching your skin can trigger excess oil production, which can lead to acne.
Plus, certain objects are just a hot bed for bacteria, which can contribute to pimples. The screen of your smartphone is a perfect example. You spend all day swiping at it with your hands, then you toss the phone into a purse or pocket. By the time you hold it up to your ear to talk to a friend, the screen of the phone is likely covered in pimple-causing germs.
Smoking
Here’s another reason to give up your cigarettes: Smoking might be behind your breakouts. Some studies have suggested that smoking increases non-inflammatory acne in adults, aka whiteheads. Smoking also cuts down on the flow of oxygen to your skin, which can contribute to an increase in the size of your pores. Plus, it can irritate and inflame your skin, boosting the production of oil.
If you smoke, the best thing to do for the health of your skin, and for fewer pimples, is to give up the habit.
Acne can be a frustrating problem to deal with as an adult. Once you know what’s behind your breakouts, you work on eliminating your pimples for good. To learn more about the acne treatment options available to you, call 281-810-9083 to schedule a consultation at Mirror Mirror Beauty Boutique in Houston, Texas, today.