8 Reasons Why You're Getting Spots And How To Deal With Them

Annoyingly, it’s not just teenagers that suffer from spots. Yup, unluckily for us everybody suffers from outbreaks now and again. And although it’s pretty normal for a pimple to pop up occasionally, if you’re suffering from recurring bad skin, it could be your body telling you something else.

Because from spot placement to size, shape and colour, there’s actually a lot we can learn from those pesky pimples.

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Hormones

Getting pimples cropping up around your mouth and chin usually signifies a hormonal imbalance and so it’s really common for girls to get outbreaks here (particularly around your period – yay, thanks).

There are natural remedies that can help to balance hormones, like Evening Primrose Oil. Alternatively, the pill can sometimes help too, so if it’s really weighing you down, speak to your doctor.

Harsh skincare products

If you happen to suffer with an oily T-zone, it can be tempting to load up on acne treatments and spot-busting skincare. But overuse of these products can strip the skin. The harsh ingredients they contain can often have the adverse effect as by stripping natural oil, your skin overcompensates by overproducing even more oil.

Instead, tackle spots gently. Use a creamy cleanser to wash away excess grime, pollution and oil. Then spot-treat pimples directly with a salicylic acid or tea tree oil.

Diet

Spots on your cheeks can be down to diet. If you’re a sucker for sugary, high-fat or processed food – try cutting it out and see if that helps. If you already eat super-healthily, you could try slightly reducing your dairy intake as some people find dairy makes them breakout, too.

Dirty bedding

Another tricksy cause of cheek spots could be something as simple as a dirty pillowcase that’s clogging up your pores with grime. So keep things clean! 

Smoking

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Yup, if you’re a smoker then chances are your skin won’t be at its best. Smoking results in your skin not getting as much oxygen meaning your pore size increases and skin gets dry and irritated.

That then can make your skin overproduce oil and you guessed it – spots occur!

Picking your pimples

Sorry to sound like your mum, but it really is true – picking at your spots only makes things worse.

Even though it might feel like popping pimples is getting rid of the gunk in your pores, you’re actually more likely to be pushing all that oil further down into your skin, meaning they’ll come back and multiply.

Stress

Stress can wreak havoc on everything from your mind to your body and your skin. If you’re regularly breaking out and have no idea why, it could be down to pent up stress that you’re not being able to release.

What’s the solution? Stress can be hard to combat, but exercising regularly and taking time to chill, meditate or focus on yourself can help.

Touching your face throughout the day

This is something we probably all do way more than we actually realise but touching your face throughout the day (or leaning your chin on your hands) can cause pimples by transferring bacteria from your hands to your skin. Gross.  

How to treat blemishes the right way

When you first notice a spot...

Put down the toothpaste. Instead, try something with a salicylic or glycolic acid – that you can apply directly to the spot to dry it out. NeoStrata Spot Treatment Gel, £21.99 combines both salicylic and mandelic acid for a double whammy of spot busting help. Or try something like The Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid 2% Solution, £3.90 which is another great, cheaper alternative that also contains witch hazel.

If you need to calm it down, like ASAP...

We’ve all been there. And unfortunately, there is no miracle instant cure. Saying that – one of the simplest ways of getting a spot to calm down (and therefore be easier to cover up) is by icing it for 15-20 minutes before doing your make-up. The ice will bring down the inflammation and redness, making it way easier to cover it up. Huzzah.

If it’s gone dry and crusty and you need it gone...

You picked it didn’t you. Don’t worry, we don’t blame you. But if your spot now has a dry and crusty head that brings even more attention to it when you try and cover it up – try using a spot sticker. They’re basically invisible and they’ll smooth over the dry scab without drawing more attention to it. Need it to be gone by the next day? Moisturise the area well and let it soak it up overnight.

If you need a good spot treatment but you’ve got sensitive skin...

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, £16 is amazing, and totally worth the hype. It’s a blend of calamine and salicylic acid, and is really good for people with sensitive skin. Just dip a cotton bud into the pink solution and apply directly to the spot.