Pores clog, your immune system freaks out and you get a pimple overnight.
What to Do
When you feel overwhelmingly excited, pop 200 milligrams of ibuprofen.
It’ll help calm inflammation, Dr. Fried says.
Take another dose in six to eight hours, then one more the next day.
But that’s it; chronic use can be dangerous.
The Trigger: Your Hair
OK, it’s not actually your hair.
It’s your hair products, which can block pores.
An oily scalp makes matters worse.
Oil glands feed acne-causing bacteria, which then end up on, say, your forehead.
That may actually be true about pimples.
Bumps of the nonbaby variety.
Get a water softener.
It’s a cinch to install and costs about 30 bucks.
At the gym or your guy’s pad, use premoistened cloths instead of a rinse-off cleanser.
Fluoride and whitening agents are likely offenders, says Ranella Hirsch, M.D., a derm in Boston.
Use sensitive-skin formulas until things clear up.
That then increases oil and plugs pores, says F.W.
Danby, M.D., adjunct assistant professor of dermatology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
The only way to know that dairy is the culprit: Quit cold turkey for three to six months.
Soy lattes are yummy.
Your man’s face is as smooth as Mario Lopez’s chest, you say?
Well, then the culprit may be fragrance-heavy aftershaves or colognes.
Tell him it’s you or his stubble/scent.
He’ll pick you, obvi.
Then gift him a nice razor and a fragrance-free aftershave.
The Trigger: Your Birth Control
Wait, doesn’t the Pill clear up skin?
For some, yes, but it can do the opposite for other gals.
Everyone’s estrogen and progesterone balance is unique and changes throughout her cycle, Dr. Hirsch says.
That means hormonal birth control affects different women in different ways, including bringing on some nasty breakouts.
Ask your gyno for a new pill, Dr. Hirsch advises.
Again, everyone’s different, so experiment.
Give it a few cycles; switching too soon puts you back at square one.
“When skin tans, it also thickens to protect itself,” Dr. Bank says.
“This especially happens around pores, which can block them.”
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