
In some cases, an acne-like breakout can also be caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the hair follicles, especially on the upper chest and upper back. Your pores can also get clogged due to irritation or a reaction to a product or fabric (such as a hat or yes, a pandemic-era face mask), Dr. Also, when you’re stressed (and who hasn’t been recently?), your body produces cortisol, which can stimulate the oil glands, leading to an outbreak. In teenagers, the onset of puberty usually kickstarts the hormone rush, but hormonal acne is very common in adults as well, says Howard Sobel, M.D., an attending dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and founder of Sobel Skin, who explains that pregnancy, your menstrual cycle and starting or changing birth control pills can speed up oil production, causing pimples to form.
AVENE SUNSCREEN FOR MEN SKIN
Hormones can cause the sebaceous glands go into overdrive, and the excess oil they produce can get blocked by dead skin cells, clogging up the pores and causing acne. However, a few things can happen that keep that oil from escaping properly through the follicles.

Your skin has millions of tiny sebaceous glands, which are connected to hair follicles all over your body, and produce an oil called sebum to protect your skin. What exactly is acne - and how it caused? So we asked three top dermatologists to break it down for you. With the endless array of products out there claiming to deep-clean your skin and banish acne forever, though, it can be overwhelming to narrow it down to a simple, workable system. “I have people come into my office every day in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who have acne,” says Debra Jaliman, M.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets From a Top New York Dermatologist.“I tell them we can definitely get it under control, but it’s like exercise - you have to be consistent with your routine every day.” But by zeroing in on the right acne products and sticking to a steady skincare routine, it is possible to achieve clearer skin. In fact, the battle against blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and cystic acne carry right through to menopause. Even if it’s been decades since you walked the halls of your high school, you can still wake up with a big red zit on your nose or a sprinkle of whiteheads across your cheeks. Acne, unfortunately, is not just limited to teenagers.
