When you think of maps, you’re probably transported to your high school days when your teacher would pin up the world to the whiteboard and bring the countries together with the tip of her scale. But maps are more than the geography classroom. They are especially helpful when it comes to tracing that annoying acne breakout across the face, as we try to figure out the exact cause behind them. Here is how to map out your face and pinpoint the cause of acne on each of these areas.
Let’s begin with the T-Zone which entails the nose and forehead.Tackling acne in these areas is easier than you think! It requires proper sleep, a check on unwarranted stress, and a balanced diet. It’s also important to make sure that your hands are clean when you are touching these areas, and the hair products that you use are free of chemicals. Moving on, the next location on our acne-map is our cheeks. Why do we break out here? The answer is pretty straightforward. Make sure that your pillowcase is clean, and that you’re using makeup products in moderation. Also, limit cell phone usage as much as you can, and when you have to use your phone— make sure that you don’t press it to your cheek.
After the cheeks, our next stop is the eyebrows. The most common cause of acne around the eyebrows is ingrown hair, eyebrow makeup and less water intake. This is why, when you get your eyebrows threaded, make sure to be mindful of not leaving any lingering hair. Wash off those sharp eyebrow-pencil lines thoroughly, and drink at least 2 litres of water in a day.
Next, we arrive at the jawline and the chin. Like the T-Zone, acne on the chin is caused due to an unbalanced diet and hormonal imbalance. To control this, make sure that you’re mindful of what you eat. Drink enough water, eat those leafy greens, and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. After the jawline, we find ourselves at the ears. While acne around our ears might not be visible, it’s still important to control. Acne around the ears is usually caused due to a bacterial build-up, stress and allergic reactions to cosmetics and hair products. Make sure that you’re washing behind your ears when you shower, taking frequent breaks between hectic work schedules, and being mindful that the products you use are not overloaded with chemicals.
And finally, the end of our map brings us to the hairline. The most common cause of acne around the hairline is the presence of pomades in hair products. Make sure that your shampoos, conditioners and hair-oils are pomade-free. If they contain pomades, avoid contact with the skin.
Thus, acne-mapping is helpful in allowing us to recognize that there isn’t a one–size-fits-all solution to acne breakouts, and they must be dealt with differently depending on the area on which they occur.