Having pimples is probably one of the worst gifts of puberty that one could receive. So you thought that by the time you hit the age of twenties, you should be safe from these ‘invaders’.  But when you reach the thirties and are not freed from these, your cry of frustration becomes louder.

Most people would have heard, to varying extents, that hormones, stress and genetics are somewhat to ‘blame’ for the acne breakouts that they are experiencing. And yes, these are indeed the three significant contributory factors that give rise to pimples!  

Hormones. All of us have hormones, male or female. When we look at a friend who has super flawless porcelain skin and another who has all the pimples all over the face, which do we blame? Hormones! We would sometimes scream out loud internally in unfairness if your best friend has smooth skin with no hint of pimples while you are ‘dotted’ all over. Don’t all these sound so familiar? 

Stress. We all have stress, one form or another and in varying degrees.  The natural concept is the probability of pimples emerging varies directly with the level of stress. The more stressed someone is, the likelihood of pimples popping will likely be higher. But strangely and not uncommon is to see your friend who works round the clock earning big bucks and he or she has clear pimple-less skin! Only one word that flashes in your head – UNFAIR!

Genetics. Look around those that are your blood relations – your grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins etc. For some of you, you can see for yourself the reason behind the acne breakouts you have because most of them do experience that too. But for others, your cry of unfairness just rings in your head as you feel like the sore thumb sticking out. Why me? Why only me?  

Hormones, stress and/or genetics are true and necessary to see that pimple forming. But some of us cannot really place a finger on a factor as a reason for our pimple-popping phenomenon. In my years of medical aesthetic work, I have observed that there is one more thing that needs to complete the equation of pimple formation – the habit of FACE-TOUCHING!

I am certain that some of you would be thinking inside, “No, I never touch my face.” Well, I don’t blame you. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone has the same reaction. It is only after we are mandated to wear face masks that we realised how often we touch our face! During this Covid-19 pandemic, I took an interest to observe how often each person I passed by along the streets touched their faces. It is an amazing revelation! Almost everyone touches their face – nose, mouth, cheeks, hairline and even pimples. Try out this experiment for yourself. Every one of us is guilty of this habit – touching our faces as we go about doing our daily work and throughout the day.

While we do not stay in filthy living conditions, we can do a much better take at hygiene on our faces. Be aware of how often you touch your face and make a conscious effort to stop that habit. Out of 10 times, you may be able to stop touching your face only 2 times. But this would have saved your skin from 2 more times of rubbing germs and dead skin over that pore, which averts into a breakout eventually.

Try it. You have nothing to lose.


Disclaimer: The content and information in this blog article is the opinion of the author and property of LinC Aesthetic Clinic Pte Ltd. It is for educational purposes and not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your medical doctor with questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Relying on information provided by this content is done at your own risk.