Recurring acne, aka breakouts that seem to keep popping up in the same. damn. place. It's a whole new level of WTF annoying. And the reason why it happens is, of course, complicated, because there are so many possible causes for why your pimples keep coming back in the same area.
But that’s not to say there isn’t an answer (or a treatment). So to help us all out, I’ve created a little guide organised by all the different places you might be dealing with recurring zits (chin/jaw, t-zone and forehead). Keep reading to find out the possible causes of your acne, how to treat your existing breakouts, and what you can do to stop them from happening ever again so you can have the clear skin of your dreams.
Recurring Acne On Your Chin and Jaw
If your deep, painful cystic acne tends to return the same time and place each month, your hormones are likely to blame. Hormones cause an increase in oil production and can lead to, you guessed it, acne, which is why it’s often referred to as hormonal acne.
The reason yours might be coming back (and back, and back) is because this cystic type of acne (or blind pimple) is so difficult to treat in the first place since it’s so much deeper than your average pimple. In other words, your topical spot treatments ain’t gonna cut it here.
Instead of playing doctor yourself, consult your facialist for help treating your hormonal acne. They can help determine whether a course of LED light therapy or a combination of acne targeting facials would be your best option.
While you wait for an appointment, stop yourself from touching, picking, and even looking at it. It won’t get rid of the zit, but it’ll help prevent you from making it worse.
Recurring Acne On Your T-Zone
I’d be willing to bet that your T-zone is one of your main areas of concern. Why? Simple: These areas tend to be oilier. The oily sebum your skin makes to lubricate itself collects and forms sebaceous filaments, and when mixed with dead skin and dirt, can create clogged pores, blackheads, whiteheads, and even cysts.
Since your skin is constantly creating sebum (it’s a natural part of your body, sorry), it makes sense why your pores keep filling back up. So to help prevent breakouts from repeatedly forming in the same place, incorporate regular exfoliation into your routine with either a cleanser containing AHA's or BHA's, or a topical light retinol such as 0.2-0.5 to keep pores clear over time and helps with the speed of cell turnover.
Recurring Acne On Your Forehead
If you’re generally a sweaty person post gym sesh, or if it’s summertime, you might notice a recurrence of breakouts in areas where sweat tends to sit, like your forehead. And whether you’re into sweatbands, hats, or bangs, if you’re constantly dabbing or messing with your forehead, you’re creating the perfect environment for breakouts by introducing bacteria and oils to your skin through fingers or dirty materials.
Instead, confront your breakouts by washing with a gentle face wash (no, I didn’t say to mop it up with the back of your hand). What you're removing your sweat, make up (fill in the blank) with, is just as important as what cleanser you're using.
100% cotton face mitts gently and effectively draw out more impurities than your average muslin cloth or cotton disc. The indulgently soft face mitts will lightly exfoliate your skin making sure you have a clean canvas for the products you apply next!
Lifestyle And Gut Health
Those pesky pimples that keep popping up in the same place may mean there is internal inflammation that any product you apply topically is just not going to budge it. As a whole, what you put in to your body inevitably shows on the outside. If you want to learn how to tackle internal inflammation, find out a list of anti inflammatory and gut friendly foods, check out my informative post on everything skin-gut connection!
If you're in to podcasts, you can also find my episode on the benefits of colonic hydrotherapy, eneams, pre and probiotics and an in depth conversation surrounding all things gut health. You can find Beauty Unplugged on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.