Acne of any variation can be a bit of a pain to deal with. Even worse is when the root cause of it is a total mystery—especially if it only haunts one single area of your face, and resists all your best attempts to manage it with skincare.
Aside from your forehead, your chin can be one of the most acne-prone areas on your entire body, and often proves stubborn against any forms of treatment.
Sifting through a multitude of different acne-fighting skincare products can be expensive and tiring. Let alone the fact bombarding your skin with a million more products will likely have the opposite effect to the gentle healing that you want.
So, what *actually* causes chin acne? And what’s the best and most effective way to handle it? (Yes, while working on our acne positivity of course.)
The answer is a lot less complex than you might first think.
What causes chin acne?
According to the Dermatology Institute of Victoria, chin acne is usually caused by genetics, hormonal disorders, medication and stress, so if you live a healthy lifestyle and still find yourself plagued by acne, this makes plenty of sense.
It’s common knowledge that acne often affects teenagers worse than adults, but the DIV implores that you’re susceptible to acne at any age—even if you’re an adult who never struggled with skin problems in your childhood.
If you eat healthily and exercise regularly, and are still confused about the cause of your breakouts, there are other parts of your lifestyle that might be the culprit.
The Derm Review says that chin acne, which is technically classified as cystic acne, can occasionally have to do with hormonal fluctuations around your body, and can worsen either during pregnancy or menopause.
However, even if you’ve reached your wit’s end, there are still options.
How can I prevent chin acne?
Though some chin acne may be out of your control, there are still things that can be done to make sure flare-ups aren’t as severe, as well as setting the foundations for clear skin in the future.
If you feel as though your contraception is causing unnecessary skin stress, speaking to a GP about possibly changing could be a good route to explore.
Australian biochemist Dr. Libby Weaver has said that employing certain medicinal herbs into your diet could be a holistic route to preventing post-pill chin acne—like “Siberian ginseng, withania, licorice, and skullcap”.
While skincare might only address the surface of the problem (*pardon the pun*), it’s the best way to get started on attacking chin acne. Products like Nexcare’s Acne Absorbing Covers provide a quick and effective antidote to rogue chin acne. Meanwhile, an acne-friendly cleanser like one from Carbon Theory or popular K-beauty brand COSRX is an ideal preventative addition to a skincare routine.
Nexcare Acne Absorbing Covers Assorted 36 Pack, $10 from Priceline.
Carbon Theory Cleansing Facial Bar, $14.95 from Beauty Bay.
Maintaining a consistent diet is an obvious fix, but make sure you’re including foods with plenty of zinc, vitamins and beta-carotene, as well as healthy fats.
If you think your current diet might be the culprit, The Derm Review says dairy, sugars and wheat would be the most effective foods to experiment with eliminating—so try to avoid them as much as possible, and see if you notice a difference. If you don’t, you can always add them back in!
We know that chin acne is one of the most difficult kinds to banish, but if you follow these tips, you’ll hopefully be on your way.
Lead image via Instagram @barefacedfemme.
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