Can Hair care products cause Acne?
The answer is YES! “Acne Cosmetica” is the medical term used to describe a low-grade clinical variant of Acne caused due to certain skincare and hair care products.
Hair care products such as shampoos, conditioners and styling gels can cause tiny bumps and also milder degree of inflammatory acne break outs on any part of the face but more so on the hair line and also on the neck and back.
What causes these breakouts and why?
Many hair care products contain oil as an ingredient. Somehow, these make way to the face from the hair, and once on the skin of the face, they block the pores on the skin, which causes acne that usually appear most commonly along the hairline, forehead, neck, and back. Certain hair care products also cause irritation and in turn inflammation of the skin, especially the ones that contain alcohol. Components of the hair care products like petroleum, cocoa butter, sodium, and ammonium lauryl sulfate, etc. can trigger acne if left on the facial skin for a prolonged period of time.
How to prevent the breakouts caused by hair care products?
The first thing is to identify which hair care product are causing the breakouts. If one is acne prone and is developing breakouts, it’s advisable to check the labels on the hair care products. Options that say oil free, non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic should be chosen since these products are specially made for acne prone skin.
The second thing is if one is using the hair care product in the shower, it’s important to make sure that nothing stays back on the hair or face at the end of the shower. One should use a good face wash at the end of the shower to make sure everything is rinsed off.
The third thing is to make sure that during the day, one should either avoid touching the face after touching the hair or washing hands after touching the hair in order to prevent transfer of the oily products on to the face.
The fourth thing one should be doing very well is washed off the residue of the hair care products at the end of the day, that could come well in contact with the pillow covers, sheets, hats, and headbands. If one doesn’t take shower before bedtime, it’s important to keep the hair away from the face like using a scarf or a hairband.
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