Pimples in unlikely places: why do they pop up? – GOOD SHAPE

Squeezing and picking cosmetics without consulting a doctor makes acne worse / (GPoint Studio/Thinkstock/Getty Images)

Everyone who has ever woken up with a pimple and wanted to treat the problem has come across the expression “T-zone”. “The area comprises the forehead, nose and chin. It concentrates the largest amount of sebaceous glands on the face. So, that’s why this place has more oiliness and also suffers more from acne”, says dermatologist Paola Pomerantzeff (@drapaoladermatologista), member of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

The point is that it’s not just the region that can be affected by acne — who has never had a painful pimple on the earlobe, for example? “This is a region that we don’t usually include in our facial skincare routine. But when we extend daily skin care from the face to the ears, we manage to control the oiliness produced in that area as well”, says the specialist.

Already on the neck, acne in the region tends to be more severe and with cystic lesions, with a rounded and hard shape, in reddish and painful spots, she says. Check out the main causes and risk factors for acne in unlikely places on the body:

Causes:

“Clog pores can cause several types of acne, including:

Pimples (with white or yellowish centers);
Blackheads (black dots over the pores);
Papules (small red bumps that may be tender)
Pustules (small red bumps with pus-filled white tops)
Nodules (big, firm lumps within the skin)
Cysts (large, painful, pus-filled lumps within the skin).”

Risk factors:

“Certain factors make it more likely that pimples or cysts will form, such as:

Age (they are more common in adolescence);
Hormones (hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, for example, can affect sebum production)
Medications (anyone containing corticosteroids, androgens, or lithium)
Family history (genetics can play a role)
Use of oily products (skin creams, hair products and cosmetics can clog pores);
And pressure or friction (contact from clothing and things like headbands, helmets, face masks, and even cell phones can contribute to the problem).”