Reasons Why You Might Be Breaking Out

Picture this: Your alarm clock begins to blare far too early for a Monday morning. After slowly making your way to the bathroom to begin getting ready for the day, you notice something new when looking in the mirror. It’s red. It’s inflamed. It hurts to touch. It’s a pesky pimple that showed up out of nowhere. 

You begin to wrack your brain with a million different possibilities for its appearance. Could it be from forgetting to take your makeup off after Friday’s night out? A dirty pillowcase? Something you ate?

If this situation sounds all too familiar, you are not alone. 

Acne is extremely common — affecting up to 50 million Americans annually — and nothing to be ashamed of. We at The Edge understand the frustration. To get rid of the pimple, it is important to understand what type you might be dealing with and why it’s there. 

What are the different types of acne? 

There are four main types of acne. Hormonal acne, the most common, is a result of excess oil called sebum building up in the pores. It can appear in the form of pimples, whiteheads, blackheads and/or cysts. In some cases, acne cysts can lead to cystic acne which is one of the most severe forms. They are puss-filled pimples that form deep under the skin as a result of pores clogged with oils, bacteria and dead skin cells. Another serious type is nodular acne, which shows up in the form of lumps or knots (nodules) under the skin. This results when a bacteria called cutibacterium acnes is trapped under the skin. The last form of acne is fungal acne. Fungal acne appears when hair follicles become infected with yeast. 

Categorizing your newest unwelcome facial addition is a vital start in getting rid of it. There is good news and bad news. The good news is each of these four main acne types has a variety of different treatments. The bad news is that everyone’s skin is different, and it can be tricky and time-consuming to figure out which course of action might work best.

Identifying which type of acne you’re dealing with is half the battle. The next question to be answered on your journey to clear skin is a simple one: why?

Why did this acne appear?

The short answer is clogged hair follicles or pores. These are clogged by sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells. 

The more complicated answer involves different scenarios that trigger acne, and they are often things so simple that you might not think it to be a contributing factor. 

Sometimes, hormonal acne can be prompted by things you can control, and other times you cannot. Stress, lack of sleep and the use of hair and skincare products that aren’t oil-free are the main causes that you can manage. However you can’t control changing hormone levels (often surrounding women’s periods), family history of acne, acne as a side effect of medication and pre-existing medical conditions — all sources of hormonal acne. Nodular acne is triggered in the same ways. 

Cystic acne has some of the same causes as hormonal acne such as age, family history and/or hormone changes during teenage years, menopause and stress. 

Fungal acne can be set off by frequent skin rubbing, wearing tight clothing, shaving, plucking or waxing hair or leaving skin hot and damp (i.e. sweat or hot water). 

Knowing these triggers is the second step on the path to clearing your acne. If you are noticing frequent breakouts and often pick at your skin or shower hours after sweating, you might have an easy fix. However, some fixes require medical care. 

What are solution options?

Healing existing blemishes and stopping new ones from forming are the overall goals of acne treatment. The most effective acne care considers age, acne type and acne severity. 

As every person’s skin is different, dermatological assistance can be helpful for professional oral and topical solution guidance. Before that, there are common practices you can implement in your life to prevent acne. Washing your face once or twice a day is necessary to keep the skin clean by killing lingering bacteria. In addition to this, showering and washing your face right after sweating can be beneficial. For the makeup-wearers, using water-based and oil-free products can prevent oil buildup. Changing your sheets weekly, especially pillowcases, also prevents the transfer of dirt and oils onto the skin. 

Acne can be troublesome. It’s painful, can cause emotional distress (over-curing it) and can have long-lasting effects (scarring). The first step in obtaining clear skin is understanding your acne. For more information, seek a physician or dermatologist's guidance. 

Tag us at @theedgemag on Instagram to share your acne-prone skincare tips!