Stress pimples will usually pop up in the oiliest areas of the face, like the forehead, nose and chin. Your T-zone might look greasier and more congested too. Doctors say that if you're getting clusters of pimples all at once, stress can be a factor—hormonal pimples happen one at a time.
Given the increase in oil production, she says your skin will usually look greasier and slightly more inflamed. Zeichner adds that stress acne can also look like a combination of blackheads, whiteheads, red bumps, and pus pimples.
Lamb said it might be more challenging to get the acne under control because of the frequent flare-ups that happen over time. But if the breakout is from more of an acute stressor, like the death or illness of a family member, Dr. Lamb estimated that the acne could take about four to six weeks to clear up.
Irritation from clothing or the chemicals in makeup can also cause forehead acne, especially if your skin is sensitive. You may get a breakout after you use a new makeup brand or if you wear a hat or headband that irritates your skin. Touching your face a lot can also lead to acne.
During puberty, hormonal acne often appears in the T-zone. This includes your forehead, nose, and chin. Hormonal adult acne typically forms on the lower part of your face. This includes the bottom of your cheeks and around your jawline.
Facial masks are en vogue now. Acne masks that contain any of the following may help with forehead acne: salicylic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, niacinamide, oatmeal, sulfur, and/or clay. All of these ingredients work on acne a little differently to help clear the skin.
The stress-acne connection
“When your fight-or-flight response is activated, the body releases stress hormones, such as cortisol and androgens,” Dr. Minni explained. “These hormones increase your skin's oil production, which can exacerbate acne.”
The best topical treatments to treat stress acne
Salicylic acid can unclog pores, benzoyl peroxide is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, and retinol increases skin cell turnover rate.
It's common for acne to start between the ages of 10 and 13 and to last for 5 to 10 years or throughout your adult life (depends on your family history). Acne normally goes away with age but may require treatment for at least 5-10 years.
Anxiety, depression, and stress can cause acne breakouts in people who have underlying acne. Again, science doesn't yet fully understand all the reasons why this happens. Here's what the evidence says so far: Stress can increase oil production and possibly hormones (like glucocorticoids), both of which can worsen acne.
Since then, many follow-up studies have helped elucidate the relationship between stress hormones and zits. While stress alone isn't the cause of acne pimples — age, hormones, acne-producing bacteria and other factors are at play — it's evident that stress can trigger breakouts and make existing acne issues worse.
Forehead. Poor digestive issues and stress are often the leading causes of breakouts on your forehead. To help flush out toxins and aid digestion, swap caffeinated and overly processed drinks with good ol' H2O.
Every time you touch your face, you are spreading oil from one part of your face to the other. The act of face touching can also clog your pores, which can lead to an outbreak of acne.
If you don't get good, restorative sleep, your body might not feel rested and could kick-start that cortisol surge, which could put you at risk for more acne. The fix is simple, but not always easy: Make sleep a priority to give your body the rest it needs and your acne a chance to heal.
The conclusion: No, Vaseline does not treat acne. In fact, using Vaseline on your face may actually cause breakouts.
Acne is strongly associated with eating a Western-style diet rich in calories, fat and refined carbohydrates ( 25 , 26 ). Fast food items, such as burgers, nuggets, hot dogs, french fries, sodas and milkshakes, are mainstays of a typical Western diet and may increase acne risk.
What causes cystic acne? Pores in the skin can clog with excess oil and dead skin cells, causing pimples. Bacteria can enter the skin pores and get trapped along with the oil and skin cells. The skin reaction causes swelling deep in the skin's middle layer (the dermis).
Stress rashes often appear as raised red bumps called hives. They can affect any part of the body, but often a stress rash is on the face, neck, chest or arms. Hives may range from tiny dots to large welts and may form in clusters.
What does hormonal acne look like? Whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, cysts and nodules are all common hormonal acne symptoms. Normally, whiteheads and blackheads do not cause pain, inflammation or swelling, but if they do, then they are most likely forming into cysts and pustules.
You can tell if acne is hormonal or bacteria by its severity if flare-ups occur during hormonal imbalances, and whether topical treatments resolve the issues, or if systemic medications are needed.
Acne commonly starts during puberty between the ages of 10 and 13 and tends to be worse in people with oily skin. Teenage acne usually lasts for five to 10 years, normally going away during the early 20s.