Acne around your mouth is painful and certainly frustrating, but luckily there are concrete steps you can take to get rid of it for good.
First, acne around the mouth and chin may not be acne at all. It is possible that it is a dermatitis or a cold sore.
But if it is acne, it may have been triggered by any of the following:
- hormonal changes,
- A genetic predisposition,
- Makeup such as foundation, lip balm or lipstick,
- Razors or shaving cream,
- Certain types of toothpaste
- smoking,
- Equipment that touches your face,
- Or something else.
We will first help you identify if what you are feeling is really acne, then we will discuss the possible causes so that you can then find a concrete solution.
Is it acne or something else?
Those bumps around your mouth might not be acne.
It could potentially be:
- Cold sores, which may look like acne, but it is actually a herpes virus that can appear for various reasons. Once you've been infected with the virus, you can get a cold sore from anything that affects your immune system, such as sun exposure, stress, or another illness like a cold.
-Perioral dermatitis. Circumoral dermatitis is a rash around the mouth that may look like acne. Dermatologists are seeing more and more perioral dermatitis in recent years as more and more people use masks or face coverings.
What causes acne around the mouth?
All acnes have the same causes:
- Inflammation
- clogged pores
- Bacteria responsible for acne
- Excess dead skin cells
All of these factors combine to create acne anywhere on the body or face.
But the skin in the U zone, around the mouth, cheeks and chin, has fewer sebaceous glands than in other parts of the face, which can lead to overproduction of sebum (oil) by existing sebaceous glands, d 'where an excess of sebum and, consequently, acne. Since the skin is dry in this area, it is also susceptible to inflammation.
Because the skin in this area is unique, it can have unique triggers.
Possible triggers for acne around the mouth:
- Lip balm or lipstick. The chemicals used to scent lip balms can cause acne or make it worse, especially if you have sensitive skin. The wax in lip balms can also clog pores and cause breakouts.
- Toothpaste, indeed many toothpastes contain a chemical called sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). For many people, the SLS in toothpaste foam irritates the skin and causes acne.
- Smoking. Several studies have been done on the relationship between smoking and acne, and so far nothing conclusive has been decided. However, nicotine and cannabis smoking may have properties that could contribute to acne around the mouth. For example, nicotine reduces the flow of oxygen through the body, which can slow the skin's healing process, hasten skin cell death, and increase inflammation. Cannabis studies are less clear, but some research suggests it may affect hormone levels and lead to increased sebum production and clogged pores around the mouth.
Hormones are the hormonal changes and imbalances that can lead to acne around the mouth and on the face in general. Hormones can cause excessive sebum production which then clogs the pores. You can observe acne breakouts of hormonal origin:
- During puberty
- At certain times of the menstrual cycle
- During testosterone therapy
- During pregnancy
- During menopause
- If you take steroids
- If you have a condition like PCOS
After changing methods of birth control, such as hormonal birth control pills, hormonal IUD, implant.
Genetic. Some people are predisposed to having a buildup of oil, dead skin cells, and acne-causing bacteria around their mouth. Of course, that doesn't mean they can't get rid of their acne with an effective, multi-step skin care regimen.
How to get rid of acne around the mouth?
Acne around your mouth doesn't have to be forever, so follow the steps below to improve your skin.
Identify the trigger for your acne from the list of triggers above and determine if you need to change your lifestyle, such as using shaving cream for sensitive skin or changing your birth control method.