Contrary to popular belief, people can get acne well beyond their teenage years. In fact, a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that more than one in three adult women in their 30s are likely to suffer from acne, along with one in five men. Dr. Robin Berzin, in her article on hormonal acne, points to fluctuating hormones as a common culprit, which explains why acne is common during puberty, or for women going through their menstrual cycle. However, while hormones play a big part, there are other perhaps surprising causes of acne breakouts that you may not be aware of.
If you’re wondering what else is causing you to breakout, here are four possible reasons you may not have considered before now:
Wearing Hats
Not limited to caps or your favorite fedora, any headgear that traps sweat and bacteria on your forehead, such as headbands and sweatbands, can cause a breakout. Of course, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t wear a hat outside, especially when it’s sunny. Just don’t wear them for too long and remember to wash your face afterwards to get rid of all the grime.
Eating Too Much Candy
Acne isn’t caused by junk food (though we don’t recommend taking it up on a regular basis!) . The food that’s more likely to trigger acne is candy. In a previous article entitled ‘Can Your Diet Affect Your Acne?’, we discussed how too much glucose disturbs your skin’s natural balance. This can cause unexpected breakouts, even before a previous breakout has settled down. You don’t have to completely eliminate sugar from your diet though, just lessen it. This is especially true for carbonated drinks and candy with processed sugar, since the sugar load on your body is considerable, and causes spikes of glucose and insulin, both of which are detrimental to your overall health.
Laying On A Dirty Pillowcase
During the day, dirt, oil, grime, and makeup all build up on your face, which then gets transferred to your pillowcase whenever you sleep. Dermatologist Jaggi Rao says that long-term exposure to this type of filth, along with the friction of rubbing your face against your pillow, causes inflammation and breakouts. So it’s important to wash your face before you go to bed, and change your pillowcases every week.
Using Your Dirty Phone
It’s not a secret that many people are reliant on their smartphones. You could even be reading this article on a mobile phone right now. However, like your pillowcase, phones can harbor bacteria, so just imagine how many germs you expose your skin to when you hold your device close to your face! As such, it’s good practice to disinfect your phone as often as possible, or switch to using earphones when taking calls.
Sleeping Too Little
When was the last time you checked how many hours of sleep you get every night? Everyday Health notes that you need at least seven hours if you want your cortisol to drop to a normal level. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can cause your skin to act up, so not getting enough shut-eye will indeed reflect in your complexion.
The next time you get a breakout, look back at some of your habits. Do you go to bed without washing your face? Have you been pulling all-nighters? Beyond topical treatments, making small switches to your lifestyle may just be the thing that you need to live acne-free. And remember, you can also find our recommendations for the skin care products you need to manage acne at Skin Elegance.
Author Bio
Jane Berlin is a lifestyle writer who has a penchant for topics involving makeup and skincare. From the age of 16 she suffered from breakouts, but was able to overcome them. Now, she aims to share some of the habits that got her through them.
Photo Credit: Audrey Jackson on Unsplash
