ZocdocAnswersWhat should I do about my acne breakouts?!


What should I do about my acne breakouts?!

I am a 23 year old female of one, with a mother who grew out of acne problems in her 30's. For the last few months I have been having bad break outs in clusters it seems and I have never had an acne problem. The break outs are my forehead, mostly on the bridge of my nose and between my eye brows, and my jaw line. I have not changed my eating habits nor have I changed up my daily cleansing routine. I have been off my menstrual cycle for a week now and I also do not take any medicines. What should I do?


Sudden flares of acne after giving birth can be unfortunately common. The hormonal changes that occur do cause some to have increased levels of acne, similar to their worst high school days. That being said, there are many therapies that are available above the usual recommended daily face cleaning. The key is to understand a bit about how and why acne occurs. In response to the hormones that are present, the face releases oil. This oil is then used as the primary food supply of bacteria. This bacterial growth then stimulates an inflammatory response by your body, which leads to the normal redness and white or black heads that are so common. To treat, you either have to reduce the oil (as with washing), decrease the bacteria (as with topical or systemic antibiotics), or increase the rate of skin turnover so that the bacteria and extra, inflamed skin flakes off faster (either with gentle acids or retinol products). There are many over the counter products that can be helpful, but if your problem is more severe, seeing a doctor or dermatologist is a great place to start to both quantify your problem and make recommendations or get a prescription.

