GET FREE SAMPLES

sign up for our newsletter to get free sample alerts

How to Get Rid of Chin Acne for Good

If you're suffering from chin acne, pesky hormones are probably to blame. Here's what you can do about it
Photo 2/7
Chin Acne: It's Hormonal
While dermatologists aren't completely sure what causes chin acne, they almost unanimously agree that it has to do with hormonal changes in women. "Some women break out all over the face, but I find in my practice that the chin tends to be the most common location in women over 25," says Zeichner.

When you change birth control, become pregnant, give birth or are having hormonal problems, you're more likely to experience breakouts around the chin and jaw, explains New York City dermatologist Rosemarie Ingelton, MD.

However, doctors don't know exactly why up-and-down hormones cause breakouts specifically in this area. But Zeichner hypothesizes that it has to do with these particular oil glands being more sensitive to hormonal fluctuations.

Image via d3sign/Getty

Photo 3/7
What Chin Acne Looks Like
If you're reading this, you're probably all too familiar with what chin acne looks like. But if you're simply a curious skin care buff, here's the deal: We're not talking about traditional blackheads or whiteheads.

"Most commonly the pimples are red angry bumps, sometimes pus pimples and sometimes painful undergrounders that do not come to the surface," says Zeichner. "Blackheads and whiteheads do occur, but I find they are less common in this group of patients and in this location."

Image via Obencem/Getty

Photo 4/7
When Chin Acne Isn't Really Chin Acne
If you're breaking out specifically around your mouth, you might be in luck — it might not be the dreaded "goatee of acne" after all. "It could be from your toothpaste or heavy lip products that are traveling onto your face," says Ingleton. "It may look like acne, but sometimes it's a form of dermatitis."

To determine whether your breakouts are hormonal or something else, you could go to a dermatologist ("we can tell just by looking at it," says Ingleton), or you can pay attention to your cycle. If you're only breaking out at certain times of the month, and if the acne tends to be focused more around your chin and jaw than your mouth, it's probably not dermatitis. Sorry.

Image via LightFieldStudios/Getty

Photo 5/7
Managing Your Hormones and Chin Acne
The best way to get rid of chin acne is to address the causes, which we know are most likely hormonal. Talk to your doctor about switching your birth control method until you find something that makes your skin happy — it's different for every woman.

If you'd rather not take hormonal birth control, ask your doctor about spironolactone — both Zeichner and Ingleton often prescribe it for patients suffering from chin acne. The drug is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, but it's been used off-label for acne for years. It regulates androgen hormone levels and can keep your sebaceous glands from overproducing sebum, which — you guessed it — contribute to chin acne.

Image via Hero Images/Getty

Photo 6/7
Tweaking Your Skin Care Routine
So, what are the best products to tackle chin acne? There are countless fancy adult acne products on the market, but here's the truth behind the marketing speak: These products aren't all that different from the products you used when you were a teenager. The active ingredients are all the same. Per FDA regulations, if an over-the-counter product makes an acne claim it has to contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.

"Even though pimples are localized to the chin, we treat them very similarly to the same types of pimples on the rest of the face," explains Zeichner. He suggests starting with a 2.5-percent benzoyl peroxide product to kill acne-causing bacteria and working your way up to higher concentrations if it's not doing the trick. He also likes salicylic acid for its ability to "remove sticky skin cells that block the pores and eliminate excess oil."

We like La Roche-Posay Effaclar Dermatological System, which won a 2015 Total Beauty Award, because it contains both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, it's gentle enough to use every day and it's a complete system.

BY DAWN DAVIS | JAN 19, 2016 | SHARES
VIEW COMMENTS
Full Site | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
TotalBeauty is a property of Evolve Media Holdings, LLC. © 2024 All Rights Reserved. | Affiliate Disclosure: Evolve Media Holdings, LLC, and its owned and operated subsidiaries may receive a small commission from the proceeds of any product(s) sold through affiliate and direct partner links.