Beauty | Health

Acne Not Going Away? Maybe It’s Your Clothes


Are Your Clothes Causing Your Acne?

Martina Hingis Clothing

Do you have acne on your neck, shoulders, back or chest? If so, you may want to take a look at the way you dress. Tight clothes that rub against acne-aggravated skin tend to disrupt the area even more, and give rise to new pimples by spreading the oil and bacteria.

Acne is most commonly thought to be caused by a hormonal imbalance. Overactive sex hormones called androgens cause glands in your skin to produce too much oil. This oil, along with dead skin cells, provides a home for bacteria that irritate the skin and cause swelling. Tight clothes prevent the dead skin cells from escaping which, along with the oil, plugs the skin’s pores and means ideal conditions for bacteria.

Dermatologists are still debating whether tight clothes might be a cause of acne, suggesting that if you changed the way you dress to a looser style, your acne might go away. This doesn’t mean you have to go and buy a whole new wardrobe, just be more selective. Here are some tips:

Plastic Is Tragic
Try to avoid polyester and other man-made fabrics, as they do not allow your skin to breathe. This makes you sweat even more. More sweat, more oil. Mix in the dead skin and you’re in for a serious bacteria infestation. However, some athletic apparel companies have designed fabrics that pull the moisture away from your skin, into the fabric, for rapid evaporation.

Stop The Rubbing
Check your book bags, sweaters, tank tops, etc. to see if they are rubbing against your neck, chest, shoulders or back. If something is rubbing against your acne, then it is most likely spreading the bacteria.

If It Itches, Ditch it
Wearing a wool sweater that is driving you nuts? Don’t! The fabric is probably too rough on your skin. You’re going to be scratching it. Again, you’ll be spreading the bacteria. You are also likely to be aggravating the acne, which will then take longer to heal and will be more likely to scar.

Watch The Workout Wear
So, you want to wear that tight shirt to show off your great figure or bulging muscles? Well, this is the time to be especially careful. When you are working out, you’re already hot and sweaty. The added heat from the friction of a tight shirt rubbing against your neck will further aggravate your acne.


There are many causes of acne. Most likely, it is a combination of things. Some of the other potential culprits to look into are cosmetics, diet, stress, medication and environment. You will find a lot of information about these topics online including here at Faze, e.g. 6 Acne Myths, Acne: Don’t Let It Ruin Your Summer and more.

Martina is sporting Adidas wear with ClimaLite technology that allows your skin to breathe – helping in the fight against acne.

Martina Hingis Clothing - Acne

Photo by C. Brunskill/Allsport
From Faze Magazine Issue #7


3 thoughts on “Acne Not Going Away? Maybe It’s Your Clothes

  1. I get acne from clothing but it is from some chemical in the clothes. I know this because I have the exact same shirts from the same brand made of the exact material, but some are newer than the others. The ones which I have had for a long time used to cause acne, but after the shirt has worn and been washed many times they don’t cause acne. The new shirts, however, do cause acne.

    Reply
    1. Thanks for that feedback. Great tip to wash new clothes before wearing if they’re going to be touching your skin. Underwear especially!!!

      Reply
      1. It takes about 100-200 washes though before it is safe to wear.

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