10%

Acne vs Breakouts

By Megan Jones

February 13^th, 2020

Acne vs Breakouts

Acne vs breakouts is one of the most commonly misunderstood topics in skin health. My hope is to explain and differentiate the two! "Acne" and "breakouts" are often said interchangeably which is a pet peeve of mine. 😬

If you have acne, you have breakouts. However, if you have breakouts, you may not have acne. There is a distinction!

Acne

Acne is an ongoing condition without much relief. If you consistently experience many papules, pustules, cysts or whiteheads, there is a deeper imbalance internally.

"Band-aid" treatments like antibiotics, creams, medications, face washes, or birth control pills will never completely clear your skin for good. They can temporarily suppress acne, but the root issue won't be resolved and it will eventually return.

The root issues of acne are caused by the following reasons, but not limited to:

overproduction of sebaceous activity (aka oil glands)
bacterial or yeast overgrowth
microbiome imbalance in the gut
hormone disruption or high androgens
eating a highly processed diet + not enough nutritious foods
allergic reaction to food, environment, or medication
chronic inflammation
etc

It’s important to note that there are different intensity levels of acne as well. Regardless of having level 1 or even level 10, it can be a traumatizing experience. Chronic inflammation of the skin can effect a person's mind, emotions, and ambition which can not truly be empathized with unless having been through a similar skin journey. Read about my skin story here.

If you are dealing with any level of acne, address your internal health first and have a blood panel drawn or food allergy test by a doctor. Secondly, seek personalized recommendations from a licensed esthetician. In a world of Instagram and YouTube, it can be tempting to take advice from an influencer or beauty blogger. Many of these individuals are self-claimed “skin experts” who have not received the adequate training/education to provide you with the proper and specific care needed. There are more factors at play when it comes to the road of healing acne.

Breakouts

If you’re dealing with breakouts, it can simply mean one to several scattered papules, pustules or whiteheads. Remember: breakouts can happen to anyone! Determining the cause of a breakout is often easier to navigate compared to acne because there is a beginning and end.

Common breakouts are caused by the following reasons, but not limited to:

buildup of dead skin, bacteria, and/or oil
wearing comedogenic makeup (aka pore-clogging)
allergic reaction to food, environment, or medication
chronic stress or emotional tension
excess sugar or dairy
PMS
travel
etc

Keeping a skin journal (logging food intake, products used, daily activities, etc) is a helpful way to determine the reason(s) causing breakouts. Removing potential triggers and slowly incorporating them back into your routine is a way to test.

When experiencing a breakout, it's important to never over-treat the skin! For example, applying a small amount of a clay mask directly to the area of concern instead of the entire face.

I hope this has given a better understanding between these two skin conditions. As always, please contact me know if you have any questions or would like me to write about a specific topic.