Pimples on the forehead are something we often associate with the teenage years. However, they can occur at practically any age, especially if you haven’t established a correct beauty routine. The bad news is that they are usually a sign of acne, and they won’t go away without proper treatment or a significant change in your daily habits.
The good news is that there are simple things you can do at home to get rid of forehead acne. Knowing what causes forehead acne can help us find suitable methods to address this skin condition. Let’s have a look!
What can cause acne?
There are several factors that can cause the pimples on the forehead and other skin imperfections usually associated with acne.
Improper face hygiene
When it comes to face hygiene, it’s not enough to just wash it with water in the mornings and evenings, especially if you wear makeup. Dust, dead skin cells, as well as touching the face with unwashed hands, can lead to clogged pores and, as a result, pimples can occur. Most often, we tend to touch the forehead, hence an increase in the pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads in this area.
Dead skin cells can also lead to spots on the forehead. To eliminate them, it is recommended to use a scrub at least once a week. While exfoliation can help with forehead acne, too much of it can cause the opposite effect, so make sure to only use gentle exfoliators suitable for acne-prone skin.
Using a gentle cleanser twice a day and making sure to remove all traces of makeup before going to bed in the evening can improve the skin condition in time! Cleansers and toners with a high content of alcohol might sound like a good idea to reduce acne signs, but in a vast majority of cases, they just increase the sebaceous glands oil production.
Excess oil at the level of the face
If you feel your face oilier or with more shine than usual, the chances are that you might be dealing with forehead acne soon, if you don’t do anything to prevent this.
An oily face can be caused by the overproduction of the glands we mentioned before or even something as simple as using oil-based cosmetic products. These can clog pores and lead to the occurrence of forehead acne in time.
To balance the oil production chose skincare products that have a gel-like texture or are water-based. And keep in mind that even if your skin is dealing with an excess of oil, this doesn’t mean that moisturizing is optional.
Keep a strict skin care routine with at least three steps (cleansing, toning, hydrating) to reduce the signs of forehead acne.
Dandruff, oily hair and hair styling products
Dandruff is incredibly unpleasant to deal with when there are no other skin or hair issues associated with it. But what you might not have known is that dandruff and oily hair can actually be among the causes of forehead acne. What happens is that dandruff can trigger an excess accumulation of dead skin cells, hence the occurrence of pimples.
Forehead acne can be prevented if you avoid bangs, get treatment for dandruff, and keep styling hair products at a minimum. While these hair products can help you avoid having a bad hair day, they could actually cause a mess when they touch your face regularly.
If your hair tends to get oily in under 24 hours after washing it, you can use a dry shampoo to absorb the excess oil. Remember that washing your hair too often can be a cause of oily hair too.
Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties and is often recommended for the hair, as well as the skin. If you are a fan of home remedies, you can add a few drops of tea tree oil in the water you use to rinse your hair after washing it.
Makeup and certain skincare products
It is hard to believe that the things that we get to look more beautiful can have just the opposite effect. Very disappointing too.
However, there are certain products that can interfere with our fight against acne instead of being our allies. Some people can get forehead acne just by using coconut oil on their skin. And we all know that nowadays, coconut oil is like a health and beauty panacea recommended for pretty much all skin and hair issues.
This is the reason why it is always important to keep an eye on how your skin enjoys one skincare product or the other. And the same goes for makeup. Get makeup that is gentle with your skin and doesn’t clog the pores. Otherwise, you might end up with more skin issues than you had without it.
So, now is a good time to get rid of all potentially comedogenic products that can cause forehead acne or acne in other areas of the body. It is also important to mention that the makeup products you might use to get rid of forehead acne can actually accentuate the condition.
If you tried a certain acne treatment or product and your forehead acne seems to have gotten worse, just throw it away and look for home remedies or advice from your dermatologist.
Hormones, diet, and stress
It sounds like a lot, but the reality is that internal factors can be just as damaging in terms of skin conditions and acne as the factors we discussed before. An excess of androgen hormones can increase sebum production and lead to acne signs. A diet rich in processed or fatty foods can also promote the occurrence of acne. And we all know that stress can make everything worse, including your acne and skin condition.
Preventing or getting rid of forehead acne can be as simple as improving your diet and getting more sleep. It doesn’t sound overly complicated, right? Even if you decide to see a dermatologist to get help with your acne, the chances are that he will also advise you to change your diet and sleep at least 7 to 8 hours per night, so why not make these changes now and see the results sooner.
Tips and tricks to treat acne at home
We have already mentioned a few things you can do to eliminate acne from your list of skin concerns. But let’s see even more acne treatment tips and tricks:
- Change your pillowcase twice a week to ensure that bacteria, dirt and other impurities don’t affect your skin;
- Cleanse, tone, and hydrate your face not only in the mornings and evenings but also after sports sessions, especially if you tend to sweat a lot;
- Use a non-comedogenic moisturizer every day to avoid getting overly dry skin;
- Try natural scrubs such as brown sugar and honey or ground coffee with olive oil to achieve a glowing complexion without imperfections;
- Always apply hairstyle products from at least 25 cm distance (we’re talking about sprays here!) to avoid getting them on your face. Choose only good quality products, preferably natural, to avoid skin and scalp irritations;
- Use a facial mask once or twice a week. Face masks that are suitable for acne-prone skin contain activated charcoal, bentonite clay, or salicylic acid, among other active ingredients;
- Set time for more rest throughout the week, and don’t stress over things you can’t control. This can help you keep the balance when it comes to hormones, and, as a result, you might notice positive effects at the level of the skin too.
Final words
Bad habits such as touching the forehead with unwashed hands several times per day, as well as hair styling products and the other acne-causing factors we discussed before, can be quickly addressed once you are aware of the harm they can do.
If you have mild forehead acne, you can just try some of the methods we discussed and hope for the best. Always make sure to clean your face with skincare products that are designed for your acne-prone skin type. If your acne is getting more and more serious, you can see a dermatologist for medical advice.