Acne Breakouts: Common Causes and How to Prevent It

Acne breakouts happen when your hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. This causes blemishes to appear on your skin in the form of comedones, such as whiteheads or blackheads, or even pimples and inflamed acne. Acne commonly appears on one’s face, chest, upper back, and shoulders because these are the areas of your skin that tend to hold the most active oil glands. Generally, acne is common among teenagers, but it can affect people of all ages, too.

Seeing breakouts on your skin, especially on the face, can affect one’s self-confidence. Though there are many skincare products and natural remedies that are said to help in getting rid of acne, getting rid of them is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It can be beneficial to know the contributing factors that are causing or worsening your acne breakouts, and going to an aesthetic clinic in Singapore can help you identify them, as well as find the right treatment for you. But, as mentioned, before you go all out with various treatments and skincare solutions to calm your skin down and improve its natural ability to rejuvenate and rid itself of any breakouts, it is important to know about the common contributing factors that could trigger or worsen acne breakouts. Some of these include the following:

1. Too Much Stress

Generally, stress does not directly cause acne breakouts but worsens it if you already have it. When you undergo psychological stress, this stimulates your fight-or-flight response and activates your stress hormones — androgens and cortisol. As a result, this can increase your skin’s oil production, exacerbating your acne.

2. Poor Diet

High-glycaemic foods, such as salty chips, pretzels, and white bread, are also contributing factors that can worsen acne. When your blood sugar levels increase, your body produces more insulin. With higher insulin levels, there’s an increase in the production and secretion of sebum, an oily substance that’s secreted by the sebaceous glands. This leads to too much oil in the pores, resulting in acne.

In addition, several studies have shown that the consumption of dairy such as cow’s milk may lead to acne breakout despite them being relatively low glycaemic beverages. This is backed by a study done back in 2016, which indicated that participants who consumed skimmed or low-fat milk were more likely to have acne. However, it is crucial to note that there are no scientific studies that show that byproducts like cheese lead to more acne breakouts. 

3. Using Comedogenic Makeup Or Skincare Products

The condition for when mild but persistent acne is triggered by the use of certain cosmetics is called Acne Cosmetica. Most commonly, this occurs on the face, neck, scalp, and hairline. This condition is caused by the use of comedogenic hair or skincare products, which blocks the pores and hair follicles in your skin. When they build up within your hair follicle, they block the pores, clogging any excessive oil on the skin and turning into acne. Comedogenic ingredients found in makeup include Acetylated Lanolin, Benzaldehyde, and Algae Extract — ingredients to keep an eye out for if you have acne-prone skin.

How to Prevent Acne Breakouts

Though there are biological changes that cause acne, like hormonal changes in the body, adopting healthy habits and getting skin treatment can help minimise acne and its complications. Here are our tips to help prevent the likelihood of acne breakouts:

1. Clean Your Face Daily

Removing excess dirt and oil from the skin is still essential to prevent your acne from worsening. Make sure to wash your face at least twice a day with a mild cleanser. If you have a dry skin type, you can use an oil-free moisturiser after cleansing to keep your skin from becoming too dry.

If you plan to use other skincare products to maintain your skin, make sure they have ingredients that are non-comedogenic and would complement your skin type. Make sure that you have the proper skincare routine and avoid common skincare habits that could be disrupting your skin’s condition.

You can visit our aesthetic clinic in Singapore to meet our specialist and learn more about your skin type and ideal skincare routine.

2. Manage Stress

Managing your stress not only ensures your acne doesn’t worsen, but it keeps your body healthy in the long run as well. There are many ways you can manage stress, such as meditating, exercising, or engaging in your favourite hobbies. Finding ways to manage your stress can prevent triggering your stress hormones, which is one of the main causes of excessive oil production.

3. Eat Healthily

As the saying goes, ‘Great skincare starts from within.’ As such, one of the natural ways to keep your skin healthy is by maintaining a healthy diet.

When finding foods that are good for your skin, you need to consider the nutrients that come with them. Omega-3 fatty acids, for example, are a nutrient that helps reduce inflammation, which is the cause of skin redness and acne. This nutrient inhibits the production of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase (COX), which produces the prostaglandin hormones that trigger inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fatty fish, like salmon and mackerel, as well as nuts and seeds.

Vitamin C and Vitamin E are also essential in preventing inflammation and redness in the skin. Vitamin E also helps stop the skin from losing moisture and protects your skin cells from getting damaged. Vitamin C, on the other hand, can help treat acne scars by increasing the production of collagen and ultimately boosting the healing process of the acne wound or scar.

4. Visit an Aesthetic Clinic in Singapore

A visit to an aesthetic clinic in Singapore can help you learn more about your skin and what treatment would be suitable to treat your acne. A trusted aesthetic centre you can turn to for consultation and treatment is Shiro Aesthetic Clinic. Our specialist can perform a range of skin treatments that help keep your skin healthy and reduce acne. There are two treatments that we typically recommend to improve the skin’s condition — the HydroPeel Facial and the TCA Chemical Peel Facial.

HydroPeel Facial

The HydroPeel Facial has deep cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, and antioxidant infusion properties in one treatment. It can rejuvenate acne-prone skin with deep exfoliation that comes with hydro dermabrasion and infusion of nourishing Vitamin C. And being an acid peel of sorts, the lactic acid and salicylic acid in our HydroPeel facials can help promote cellular turnover and inhibit sebum production. Additionally, HydroPeel promotes increased collagen production for a sustained residual effect. Getting a HydroPeel facial aims to help clean out your enlarged pores, congested pores, and acne, with the goal of achieving smoother and healthier-looking skin.

TCA Chemical Peel Facial

Under the family of chemical peels, our TCA Chemical Peel is a light chemical peel that offers a potent skin resurfacing solution, peeling away the outer layer of the skin so the healthy new skin beneath can come through.

The process involves drying up the top layer of the skin cells to peel it off over a period of several days. Once the old skin is shed off, it brings out a new layer of undamaged skin, which is smoother and has a more even skin tone. This aesthetic treatment you can get in our Singapore clinic aims to help with sun damage, signs of ageing, discolouration and pigmentation. It can also be performed in other areas of the body.

Cystic Acne Injection

As part of our skin restoration treatments, our Cystic Acne Injection is a procedure that leverages diluted corticosteroids to try and reduce the redness, inflammation and size of your acne cyst. A procedure that is typically used for cysts that are not responsive to other common acne therapies, this intralesional corticosteroid injection could also reduce the risk of acne scarring.

Visit Our Aesthetic Centre in Singapore for a Consultation

Want to know what could be causing your acne and what treatment would be suitablefor your skin? Visit our aesthetic clinic in Singapore today. Our aesthetic specialist can offer personalised treatment to target acne-prone skin and help you improve your skin’s condition.

Get started by booking an appointment.