Select a treatment to
get started

10 Tips To Clear Up and Prevent Forehead Acne

Forehead acne can be annoying. Learn about 10 tips to help prevent and clear forehead acne breakouts.

Read on

Do you have constant problems with acne, and it tends to be focused right on your forehead area?

Foreheads breakouts are a common problem and partially stem from the location on the face just below the hairline.

In this article, we will go over some tips to help you clear up your current forehead acne, or prevent future issues.

Also Read: Meaning of Jawline and Chin Acne: Acne Mapping

1. Keep those glands cleared out

Pimples can form from blocked sebaceous glands that normally produce sebum in the skin.

These glands can be blocked by excess sebum, dead skin cells, or bacteria.

Keeping your skin clean, without excess oil, and well exfoliated can help keep the glands open and able to function properly without acne-causing sebum build-up.

2. Keep hormones as steady as possible

If you aren’t always the best at remembering to take your hormonal birth control on schedule, you may be putting yourself at risk for acne outbreaks from the hormone fluctuations.

Set a timer on your phone to remember to take any hormonal medications on a regular schedule.

Hormone fluctuations are also common in puberty and menopause.

3. Don’t stress about it

One 2007 study wanted to see if there was a link between mental stress and the worsening of acne.

In the study, researchers measured the severity of acne in students around the age of 15 twice, once just before their exams, and once during summer break.

The study found a significant increase in the severity of acne before the stressful exams as compared to the laid back summer break.

Read Related: Mild, Moderate, and Severe Acne: How To Tell Acne Severity Levels

4. Switch up your hair products

With the forehead being just next to your hairline, anything that you apply to your hair will eventually come into contact with your forehead throughout the day.

Acne from hair products is sometimes referred to as “Pomade Acne” and the main culprits are gels, oils, or waxes.

To be sure that your hair routine is not the cause of your forehead acne, try going a few weeks without hair products at all and see if the breakout clears.

5. Wash your hair on a regular basis

Although dry shampoos and stretching time between washing your hair may be a good thing for your hair, it may not be great for your forehead.

Your scalp produces a lot of oils that may make their way to your face if not kept in check with regular shampooing.

Find a good regular schedule to wash those locks if you notice more forehead acne than usual.

6. Leave your favorite hat at home

Regular hat use may harbor acne-causing bacteria and oils in the part that comes in contact with your forehead.

For the sake of a clear forehead, either ditch the hat or find one that can be easily washed in-between wears like a ski-cap.

Also Read: Can This Spearmint Tea Acne Hack Really Help Hormonal Acne?

7. Clean up your makeup

While makeup is great for hiding those forehead breakouts, it may also play a part in causing them.

It is recommended to toss your foundation and powder after about 2 years to help prevent bacteria build-up that can cause irritation or breakouts.

If you have ever seen this cute little icon on the back of your beauty product, this is actually a recommendation of when to toss it:

12M = 12 Months after opening.

Makeup brushes and applicators also easily collect skin oils and bacteria and should be washed regularly to avoid breakouts.

And, of course, wash off your makeup before going to bed!

8. Post-workout face wipes are your friend

Going to the gym regularly is great for you! But if you tend to let that post-gym sweat dry on your face you may have a problem.

The buildup of sweat on the skin may cause irritation and breakouts if not cleaned off soon after the workout ends.

Throw a packet of gentle face cleaning wipes in your gym bag for a quick clean up after you tone up.

9. Read up on your face products

If you are sensitive to forehead acne breakouts, you should find cleansers and moisturizers that won’t initiate a breakout.

Look for products that say “non-comedogenic”.

Non-comedogenic is an actual term meaning that the product does not contain ingredients that are known to block pores.

These products will leave your skin clean without clogging.

10. Keep your hands to yourself

Not touching your face is one of the simplest yet very effective ways to prevent forehead acne.

Your fingers are constantly covered in bacteria and oils, and unless they are freshly washed, you can easily transfer those things to your skin.

Strut Acne Formula with Tretinoin for forehead acne breakouts

You may need to look into a medicated acne cream in addition to practicing all of the tips above.

There are quite a few options out there, both prescription and over-the-counter.

Our Strut Acne Formula combines a prescription-strength retinoid with a topical antibiotic and a soothing B vitamin to help with those recurrent or resistant outbreaks.

Conduct a quick and convenient online questionnaire-based consultation through Strut Health with our U.S. licensed physicians today to see if our pharmaceutical-grade Acne Formula is right for you.

Free shipping
Free follow-up care
Cancel anytime, no fees
Free online MD visit

Related posts