Acne in Men; Causes and Possible Treatments

In beauty and skincare, acne is the topic that is most talked about. This is probably because many people suffer from one or another type of acne throughout their life. Be it cystic, nodular, or hormonal; acne is something that attacks people regardless of their gender or age.

Although acne and its treatments are discussed a lot on the internet, very few people pay attention to acne in men. The cause of emerging acne in men can be a little different than in women. And similarly, the treatments also differ immensely. In this blog, we will discuss all about Acne in Men, its root causes, and possible treatments.

Causes of Acne in Men

If you wish to treat your acne from its roots, then it is extremely vital to understand what is triggering your acne. It can be certain products, family history, or bad skincare habits. Acne in men can be triggered by a number of reasons. Some of these reasons are listed below

• Sweating
• Shaving mistakes
• Clogged pores
• Sun damage
• Hormonal imbalance
• Ingrown hair
• Family history
• Stress
• Medication

It might help you better to understand the cause of your acne if you look closer at the chemistry of your skin. Although your skin looks pretty smooth, it contains many tiny pores commonly known as hair follicles. These follicles contain sebum and your skin’s natural oils. These pores can get clogged due to some products or pollution. Clogged pores are a major reason for acne in men or women. The oil and dirt trapped into the pores can get inflamed and give rise to acne.

Men usually get acne on the face or the back. Sweating after exercise and not washing up properly can be the reason for aggravated back acne. Most men shave daily, shaving over an already inflamed spot can spread acne. Also, the blade can cut at the sensitive skin and make matters worse for you. Men also have harsher ingredients in their skincare products, which is not exactly preferred when you have acne on your face.

Treatments and Precautions

Regardless of how intense your acne is, there are some excellent treatment options out there that you can consider. You can get rid of your acne by correcting your skincare habits and using the right products.

Here are a few skincare tips that can help you in improving your acne

Correct cleanser

The very first step to good skincare is a correct cleanser. Men usually have a lot of harsh ingredients in their cleansers and skincare products. Make sure that you check the ingredient list before buying a cleanser. People assume that acne is caused by oils and they naturally want to get rid of all the oil on their face. Harsh cleanser strips your face of all the natural oils and your skin ends up producing an excess of sebum to compensate for the loss. This can make your skin look even oilier and can also clog the pores. Therefore, it is extremely important that you choose a cleanser that suits your skin type. Look for ingredients like salicylic acid and lactic acid that are great for acne treatment.

Shaving mistakes

The biggest underlying cause for acne in men is wrong shaving habits. If you have active acne, then you need to be extra careful while shaving your face. Make sure that you are not going over any aggravated pimples with the razor. Use warm water and a towel before shaving to open your pores and make hair soft and the process easier. You also need to make sure that you are using a clean blade. Use an antiseptic and hydrating aftershave

Moisturize

If you don’t understand the importance of hydrating your face, then it’s high time that you start realizing it. Your skin needs hydration and moisture to prevent epidermal water loss. A good moisturizer will keep your skin from getting flaky. Dehydrated skin is a major cause of acne and other skin problems. You can look for some hydrating ingredients like hydraulic acid and aloe vera in your moisturizer. Some oils also work wonders for acne-prone skin like tea tree oil and jojoba oil.

Sun protection

Remember, the three essential steps of skincare are to cleanse, moisturize, and protect. You must follow till the last step. Sun protection is something that people often overlook. Your last step before leaving your house should always be applying sunscreen. Adding sunscreen to your daily skincare routine will probably be the best decision you will ever make. It protects your skin from harmful UV rays that causes skin cancers and all kinds of skin conditions.

Acne is also something that gets uncontrollably worse if you are not protecting your face against the sun and its dreadful outcomes. Make sure that you use lightweight sunscreen that will not feel too heavy or cakey on your face. Gel sunscreens usually work best for this purpose. You can look for SPF 75 or more in a good sunscreen to ensure lasting sun protection.

Treating acne is something that requires plenty of patience and determination. Acne leaves permanent scars on one’s confidence and personality. It’s no less than a battle and you may feel lost sometimes. But you need to make sure that you never give up on it. Your acne needs proper care and attention.

Don’t expect to use a product for seven days and transform your skin overnight. This is not how it works. Acne will always take its time to heal. Proper skincare is the key to accelerating the process and making it bearable. Your diet and lifestyle also contribute a lot to your skin condition and play a major role in aggravating your acne. So, make sure that you are eating healthy and staying positive.

We hope that these tips were useful to you, and you will adopt them to make your skin routine a little organized.