Skin Care

3 Reasons Why Your Skin Is Breaking Out

Here's why you're breaking out and what to do about it

by Andrea Jordan | COMMENT

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What Causes Acne? You may be wondering how you missed the acne train as a teenager but it's somehow caught up to you as an adult. "One of the most common misconceptions is that acne only affects adolescents," shares Jerdan. "It is very common for a woman or man who never had acne to have some new breakouts with hormonal changes or changes with age."

While there are many causes of acne floating around the internet, from diet to sleeping with makeup on to sweat, there are three main factors Jerdan looks for in patients with acne concerns. The first is whether the patient shows signs of hyperandrogenism, which is excessive levels of male sex hormones (such as testosterone) in the female body due to either hormonal changes or medicines.

Another common cause of acne is called acne cosmetica. This type of breakout stems from occluding makeup or creams, like coconut oil, that clog pores. To ensure you don't suffer from this type of breakout, look for cosmetics with labels highlighting "non-comedogenic" or "non-occlusive" properties.

The third main culprit of acne stems from activities that cause friction and obstruct hair follicles and sebaceous glands. "This type of acne can be caused by dirty cell phones that touch your cheek and chin or athletes who wear helmets regularly that touch their face," says Jerdan.

Image via Imaxtree

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