Enter into your preferred search engine, “What causes acne?” and the list of results that you will get will probably horrify you. Depending on what articles you read, everything causes acne, right down to your favorite foods or your sleeping position. Okay, maybe not your sleeping position, but still; can we do anything to avoid breaking out these days?
Chances are part of the reason you’re breaking out is your hormones. The chemical imbalances that are happening within your body – and totally out of your control – can absolutely contribute to what happens on the exterior of your body, and that includes the acne on your face. There are two very common types of acne: cystic, which is that deep, painful acne that appears as a red rash on the face, typical of teenagers. The other is hormonal acne, which is a bit more common in women, but still occurs in men of all ages.
How to Spot it, and What It’s From
Aside from the obvious location from the name, you can spot mouth acne because it commonly appears in the form of pus-filled cysts that seem to grow bigger the more you ignore them. Other kinds are those difficult-to-pop pimples known as comedones. These are the whiteheads that seem to be buried deep in your skin which are virtually impossible to rid of. But why the mouth? For one, your hormones dictate the location of where your pimples congregate. When there is an imbalance, these clusters of cysts will appear in certain areas of your face. The imbalance leads to an overproduction of oil on your face underneath the surface layers of your skin, and as you may very well know, too much oil can mix with the bacteria and other dirt on your face to clog your pores.
Mouth acne is also caused by some of your habits. For instance, various lip balm – especially those that have a high wax content – will clog your pores. If you are using a moisturizer that is greasy, you will also clog your pores and make yourself susceptible to mouth acne. And as you might have guessed, the more acne you have around your mouth and chin, the more stressed you might be. Stress is a well-known contributor to breakouts and acne, and it is known to manifest itself in weird ways. Mouth acne is just one of those ways.
How to Treat it
It is not recommended that you shave after a breakout around your mouth and chin. Your razor will inflame and aggravate the area, causing your skin to react and become even more broken out. A gentle cream, especially those that have a small percentage of salicylic acid, will work to treat your acne. Small doses of benzoyl peroxide, if your skin can handle it, will also help the problem.
