Acne & Its Hidden Meaning: What Your Breakouts Reveal About Your Skin?

Face Mapping: What Your Acne Breakouts Mean?

Face mapping has evolved from what ancient traditional medicine thought it was. Now, it explains using the areas of the face with acne to decide the cause of acne. This ensures it is treated properly and can prevent new acne breakouts. This mapping isn’t always accurate but can give a good guide to managing acne.

• Forehead Acne: These are commonly caused by hair products. This type is called pomade acne or acne cosmetica. The oily products clog the pores and cause whiteheads and blackheads.

Forehead acne can also be indicative of stress or digestive issues like inflammatory bowel syndrome.

• Cheek Acne: This type of acne is caused by exposure to bacteria. This can come from contact with your bacteria-filled phone screen. Your dirty pillowcases may be why you have those breakouts on the cheeks!

Beyond bacteria, the friction between the cheeks and the pillowcase or phone screen can cause frictional acne—acne mechanica. Using a softer pillowcase can help reduce acne on the cheeks.

Excess sugar intake and dairy products can contribute to cheek acne.

Some claim that cheek acne can be caused by respiratory problems. This is not always true, and you may need to see health experts to confirm if there are issues with your respiratory system.

• Jawline and Chin Acne: Jawline and chin acne are usually a sign of hormonal disturbances. Excess androgens, like testosterone, can cause this acne. Many women have chin acne when they are menstruating. In women with PCOS, you may also notice chin and jawline acne.

• Nose Acne: Nose acne can be vulgaris or rosacea. The pores around the nose are bigger and can get blocked easily.

Nose acne is also triggered as well as some cardiovascular conditions.

• T-Zone Acne: This acne is caused by different things in different people. However, diet and the excessive oil deposits in these areas are the most common culprits of T-Zone acne.

What Body Acne Tells You About Your Health

Beyond the face, there can also be acne on other parts of the body. The commonest places acne is found apart from the face are the back, shoulders, chest, and buttocks.

• Back and Shoulder Acne: This can be caused by different things.

Excessive sweating and/or poor hygiene can result in acne outbreaks on the back and shoulders. 

However, clothing can also cause this type of acne. The friction between the clothes and the skin can cause acne mechanica.

Hormonal imbalance can also present with back and shoulder acne. If this is suspected, a proper investigation should be done to identify and possibly resolve the hormonal fluctuations.

• Chest Acne: Chest acne isn’t uncommon.

Sweat and/or poor hygiene are common causes of chest acne. There can also be bacteria or fungi clogging the pores and leading to acne.

Friction with tight clothes can lead to acne breakouts on the chest. 

If you see chest acne, it is vital to also check for any recent changes in diet. Also, look out for allergy triggers. These can lead to acne on the chest.

Using body lotions and products with excess oil can clog the pores and lead to acne breakouts on the chest!

• Butt Acne: There isn’t usually acne on the butt! However, three common conditions can look like butt acne. They are folliculitis, keratosis pilaris, and boils. They are commonly caused by the same things as acne—friction, sweating, poor hygiene, and bacterial/fungal infection
• Back & Shoulder Acne – This can be triggered by sweat, tight clothing, or hormonal fluctuations.

Hormonal Acne: The Influence of Internal Imbalances

Hormonal changes play a key role in acne breakout. Androgens like testosterone, when in excess, can trigger acne breakouts on the skin.

Hormonal acne is seen commonly in the teenage years. There is an increase in testosterone levels at that time. The sebaceous glands at the root of hairs are stimulated by testosterone to release sebum. The sebum can clog the pores and lead to acne.

In pregnancy and during menstruation, hormonal changes can also lead to acne breakouts.

Decreased estrogen levels in menopause can also trigger postmenopausal acne.

Medical conditions that alter the hormone levels will also cause acne. A common condition that leads to acne breakouts is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

Diet & Acne: How Food Affects Your Skin

The teaching of the role of diet in acne severity has evolved over the years. Recent studies affirm that diet may play a role in improving or worsening acne.

Some foods worsen inflammation — these foods include refined carbohydrates, soda, french fries, etc. Foods like these should be avoided to reduce acne and acne scars. 

Dairy and sugary foods may also lead to insulin spikes. This will influence certain hormonal changes that can trigger acne formation.

Some foods are good for acne treatment and prevention. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly recommended as they have anti-inflammatory properties and can improve acne. Omega 6 has inflammatory traits and isn’t recommended for acne treatment or prevention. It can actually worsen a breakout! We must maintain a balance between Omega 3 and Omega 6 for healthier skin.

Probiotics and gut microbiomes do wonders for the skin. Since there is a proven gut-skin connection, balancing the gut microbiomes can remarkably improve acne and improve how your skin looks.

Stress & Acne: The Mind-Skin Connection

Have you noticed that you have a tendency for acne breakouts when you’ve been anxious and sleeping poorly? Here’s why.

In high-stress conditions, the body releases a hormone that helps accommodate this stress. It is called cortisol.

This stress hormone may be great for stress but terrible for acne. It increases oil production in the body and triggers inflammation. These will worsen acne breakouts.

Stress management methods, ranging from mindfulness to meditation, are valuable in managing stress-induced acne.

Skincare Mistakes That Worsen Acne

Desperate to treat or prevent acne, you may be making some mistakes that are worsening it.

Here are some mistakes to avoid so that you won’t worsen your acne:

• Over-Exfoliation: Exfoliating the skin too much may do more harm than good. It can irritate the skin and worsen acne symptoms.

• Harsh Cleansers: Harsh Cleansers can also irritate the skin. This can trigger inflammation and worsen acne.

• Comedogenic Products: These products will clog your pores and lead to acne. Opt for non-comedogenic products!

• Improper Cleansing: Not cleaning makeup and dirt off your face properly before you sleep will increase the risk of breakouts.

• Product Overload: Using too many active ingredients at once will harm your skin and worsen acne. Calm down, and use only what you need!

• Scrubbing the face: Vigorously scrubbing the face can irritate the skin and cause acne.
• Excessively Dry/Oily Skin: You may be tempted to try and dry your skin. This will be counterproductive. More sebum will be produced, and your pores will be clogged! This will worsen acne.

Healing Acne from the Inside Out

In managing acne, multi-faceted approaches are taken to properly manage and prevent acne breakouts.

Here are some approaches to tackling acne from the inside out:

• Detoxification: Dangerous toxins can lead to inflammation and trigger acne. Reducing toxins and improving liver health can work wonders in solving your acne problems. With these toxins gone, your hormones will be more stable, reducing hormonal acne.

• Supplements: Several supplements reduce toxins and are anti-inflammatory. These will do your skin a world of good and reduce acne breakouts.

• Nutrition: Eating the right things will ensure your acne outbreaks improve. Anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric are the best choice of foods for you. They will reduce the inflammation in the areas of breakout, reducing the acne.
• Topical Solutions: There are many topical solutions made from natural ingredients—retinol, tea tree oil, aloe Vera, argan oil, apple cider vinegar, etc. These can help with reducing acne.

Best Treatments for Acne Based on Breakout Type & Location

• For Hormonal Acne (Jawline, Chin): → Morpheus8, Topical Retinoids, Laser Genesis.
• For Clogged Pores & Blackheads (T-Zone, Nose) → ViPeel, Salicylic Acid, Microneedling, resurfacing lasers. 
• For Inflammatory Acne (Cheeks, Body Acne) → Lumenis Stellar M22 IPL, Laser Genesis, Topical Antibiotics, Peels.
• For Acne Scars → 5FU Injections, Microneedling, Laser Treatments, peels, resurfacing laser (ResurFX), fillers.

How to Identify & Treat Acne the Right Way

To treat acne the right way, we must decipher its cause. This will ensure we provide the right care and remove the triggers to prevent recurrence.

We must consider your holistic health and well-being in combating acne. A consultation with an expert will guide you towards a proper diagnosis and management. This assures you a personalized plan and the best results.