Having chest acne can be hard enough without all of the emotional burden it carries. Not only it impacts your appearance, but also affects you emotionally. Knowing more about acne has truly given me the control back in my life, knowing that acne doesn’t dominate my life, and there are simple remedies and practices that I can use to manage it.
Acne is a very common skin condition across all ages. You can experience pimples mostly on the face, chest, shoulders, forehead and back. Acne can look different on all parts of the body, including the chest.
The causes of chest acne can vary, and as mentioned, you can often control, manage and even keep those outbreaks at bay, by avoiding triggers that contribute to acne flare ups.
Why do I have chest acne?
Typically acne is associated with teenagers, but in fact, acne can affect all ages for many reasons. There are a variety of causes including hormone changes, genetics, stress, hot weather conditions, and using skin products that are unsuitable for your skin.
Put simply, A spot occurs when the pores of your skin become blocked by sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells. When your pores become clogged, it produces a blackhead that turns into a pimple. The causes of acne can vary, here are some examples.
Genetics
If your family are prone to breakouts, you will be at greater risk of experiencing acne.
Hormonal changes
This is when your skin produces excess oil. The oil then mixes with bacteria on the pores of your skin and results in acne.
Hot weather conditions
Heat and humidity cause increased sweat and excess oil production in the skin leading to clogged pores and breakouts
Heavy, oily or greasy moisturisers
Heavier lotions and creams can worsen congestion of the pores and lead to excess oil production that causes acne breakouts.
Makeup or perfume
Perfume is a known irritant and may easily cause breakouts, fragrances can often irritate the skin and clog pores. Pores are responsible for releasing sweat and oil from the skin, applying foundation can prevent the skin from naturally running its course and clogging the skin.
Hygiene
Having a good skincare routine, washing your makeup off properly and showering each day will help
Stress
When you experience stressful situations, your stress hormones rise, causing pressure on the body. This triggers your oil glands to produce more oil, which then causes acne.
Poor diet
Foods such as refined grains and sugars can cause quick spikes in your blood sugar and lead to acne breakouts.
Dehydration
When you don’t drink enough water, your skin becomes dry. This sends a signals to your skin and brain to take responsibility. Your skin starts to increase oil production in an attempt to rehydrate it.
Friction from clothing
This can irritate the skin, causing it to flare
It’s worth noting that typically chest acne is not because of poor hygiene or unclean/dirty skin, and can actually be made worse when washed or rubbed too frequently.
Types of spots
There are 6 main types of spots caused by acne that can affect your chest:
Acne can appear as:
- Blackheads
- Whiteheads
- Nodules
- Papules
- Cysts
- Pustules
So, we’ve covered the why’s and what’s of acne, but acne can cause more issues other than appearance, you could experience;
- Low self-esteem & lack of confidence
- Scarring
- Depression or anxiety
Here are my top tips that I use to stay confident when dealing with those Pesty pimples!
Find happiness
It all starts with happiness, understanding more about yourself, identifying what makes you happy, your values and goals in life. Creating a goal, joining a fitness class, or taking up running is not only hugely beneficial to your overall health, but also your mood and confidence.
You are what you think and see
This phrase cannot be more accurate – scrolling through hours of social media is super harmful. We tend to think we gain ‘enjoyment’ out of following other peoples lives, but in actually fact, we’ve basically paused our own life. When scrolling through social media, we are not adding value to our goals, and a world full of filters and Photoshop pictures can hugely impact our insecurity. I’ve deleted accounts that simply don’t provide me any value, as it can be toxic to my health. Instead, I use my time and energy to invest in myself. You could also fall into the trap of doing posting yourself, this again, doesn’t provide you with any value as you are depending on other peoples reactions for happiness. This can lead to ultimately make you feel more insecure and result in a lack of confidence. It’s so important to not need reassurance and to be yourself, and be true to you.
Don’t worry about others
Easier said than done right? This takes practice, but it’s key to feel in control of your life. Regardless of what other people think or say, what matters is how you feel about yourself. Put things in practice to feel good, such as a good diet, exercise plan, education to improve your life. It’s important to also review your social environment, surrounding yourself with loving, caring people who genuinely want the best for you.
Chest acne – Self care
If you don’t care for yourself, who will? Once you start loving who you are, you will go from strength to strength. That doesn’t mean looking in a mirror constantly and finding yourself attractive, it means being kind to yourself from the inside out. Loving your values, knowing that you do the right thing, that your a good person. This will help you feel more secure about yourself and grow confidence. Treat yourself to a warm bath with candles or have a spa day – after all, that’s what you deserve for being you!
Focus on Improvements
It’s great to acknowledge all the awesome things about ourself, however, if we don’t also acknowledge any improvements, how will we grow? Reflecting and reviewing your behaviour, why and what makes you behave in that way, is key to understanding yourself. Once you understand yourself more, you can make changes in your life to be the best version of you! This creates tons of confidence as you are in control of your journey.
Wear what you want
Following trends can create a lot of pressure for you. Wear something that makes you feel good. There’s a fine balance between dressing to impress, and not being true to yourself, but also the opposite when you wear baggy or black clothing as you feel ‘down’. If you feel like this, try to identify yourself feeling this way, and do what makes you genuinely happy. For example, your down and opt for black, put a bright top on, sit up right, shoulders back and head high – this will send your brain signals of confidence, and over time this will lift your mood.
Put yourself first
Putting yourself first takes skill, this is all about you taking control of your life. Deciding on what you want and doing things that align with your values and goals to move your life in the right direction. Often, we worry about others however, when it gets down to it, they would be ‘selfish’ and do what they want. Sound familiar? In reality, sometimes we all need to adopt selfishness to be happy.
One more final thought from me on this – ‘you are what you eat’ this is another phrase commonly used, but hugely under valued. If you focus on a healthy diet, fruits, vegetables and including anti-inflammatory foods, vitamin c, e and d – not only you will get in shape, boost your mood and increase your confidence, but also it will improve your health and skin to reduce acne and keep it at bay!
Do certain foods cause chest acne?
Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those rich with vitamin C and beta carotene, helps reduce inflammation.
- Dairy products
- Refined carbohydrates
- Refined sugars
- Fast food
A diet full of anti-inflammatory foods such as blueberries, omega-3 fatty foods, probiotics, fruits and vegetables may prevent acne. It’s also important to include Vitamins A, D and E, and zinc.
Home remedies for chest acne
- Avoid washing the area more than twice a day as this could irritate the skin and make it worse. Try not to touch your chest as this can lead to blocked pores and keep the area clean. When working out or sweating, shower as soon as possible.
- Hot water or cold water can irritate your skin, wash the area in mild water with a fragrance free or anti bacterial soap.
- Don’t squeeze! Although tempting, this can cause scaring.
- Focus on a healthy diet, lots of fruit and vegetables, avoiding foods that contain high amounts of sugar
- Avoid spraying perfume, or using lotions and makeup to the chest
- Wearing looser-fitting clothes when working out
- Look for make up products that are water based, oil free as they will be less likely to clog your pores
Regular exercise won’t improve your acne, but it can boost your mood and improve your confidence and self-esteem.
Chest acne – Conclusion
Chest Acne is a common skin condition that affects most people at some stage of their life. Although acne cannot be cured, it can be controlled with good a skincare routine; diet and lifestyle.
2 Responses