What Causes Chest Acne — And How To Deal With It

Written by Sumona Bose27th Jan 2021
What causes chest acne — and how to deal with it

Few things can challenge your right to wear a plunging neckline — your mother’s enquiring eye and a couple of unwanted breakouts that showed up the previous day! Yep, chest acne is a real thing and can ruin your plans of wearing a deep neckline. But chest acne does not mean that you walk around in a turtleneck all year-round. There are ways of dealing with the pesky problem, and we’re going to tell you all about it. But before jumping to tips on how to deal with them, let’s find out what causes acne on the chest.

 

Causes of chest acne

Best practices to help deal with chest acne

Here are some of the common causes of chest acne:

1. Genetics: If your skin is genetically prone to secret excess sebum and clogging up your pores, you might be more prone to developing chest acne.

2. Hormonal imbalance: Just like your jawline, your chest is yet another location where the effects of hormonal imbalance can show up. A rise in testosterone can lead to breakouts on your chest.

3. Bad hygiene: Bacterial infections in your chest area can lead to breakouts. Bad hygiene habits can contribute to the bacteria infecting clogged pores and leading to inflamed breakouts.

4. Improper clothing: If your skin is prone to excessive sweating, improper clothing can lead to the worst kind of friction and worsen the situation. Tight gym clothes and low-quality fabrics like polyester can irritate your skin.

5. Diet: Just like the breakouts on your face, chest acne is also caused by a bad diet. Sugary foods, foods high in glycemic index, junk foods, and saturated fats can lead to a spike in breakouts.

 

Best practices to help deal with chest acne

Best practices to help deal with chest acne

Here are some useful tips on how to deal with chest acne:

1. Use acne-fighting body cleansers: Ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and kojic acid are also available in the form of body cleansers and can help fight acne-causing bacteria. If you are not a fan of these ingredients’ drying nature, you can also take the natural route. Look for body cleanser with ingredients like neem and turmeric, as they contain antibacterial properties. The Lever Ayush Purifying Turmeric Soap is one of our faves!

2. Exfoliate weekly: While exfoliating your face is a common practice, you might tend to skip exfoliating your body. Make sure to exfoliate your body twice a week with an effective, but gentle formulae like the Dove Exfoliating Body Polish Scrub with Crushed Macadamia and Rice Milk.

3. Use a topical spot treatment:  Use topical spot treatment like the Dermalogica Age Bright Spot Fader at night to speed up the healing process. The potent formula zaps active breakouts and keeps your chest scar-free after healing.

4. Try and stay sweat-free as much as possible: Even though the chest area is prone to getting sweaty, try to keep it as dry as possible. Dab with rice papers to dry out and mattify the area, change out of your workout clothes as soon as you are done and don’t forget to shower at the end of a sweaty day.

5. Watch your diet: Check your diet for added sugars, phytohormones and excess salt. These additives can disrupt the natural hormonal balance of your body and lead to more breakouts.

Sumona Bose

Written by

Sumona Bose is a writer, skincare junkie and a self-professed makeup connoisseur. Equipped with a Master's degree in Fashion Management and over 3 years of experience writing in the beauty and fashion space, her passion for learning new things has no bounds. Working closely with dermatologists, beauty excerpts, makeup artists and hairstylists, she brings you the best of all things beauty. From trending skincare ingredients to makeup looks that help you slay, she manages to bring something new (and vital!) to our readers every single time. Her hobbies include home workouts, watching foreign films and binge-watching makeover shows!

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