When you wake up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat, you stay home to avoid getting other people sick. But should you do the same when you wake up with a new pimple? Is acne contagious—and if you spend time near someone who has a bad breakout, are you at risk of developing acne, too?
The truth is, acne is not contagious. Just being near someone who is experiencing active breakouts will not put you at risk of developing any of your own.
However, it is possible to accidentally transfer acne-causing bacteria between yourself and others through shared items if you’re not careful. In this article, we’ll explore what causes acne to multiply so you can learn what to do (and what not to do) to stop the spread.
Can You Spread Acne to Another Person?
If you’ve ever felt self-conscious about how your acne might impact others, you’ll be relieved to know that it is impossible to transmit acne to another person through skin-to-skin contact.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t inadvertently exchange acne-causing bacteria with others through the sharing of makeup or cosmetic brushes—a topic we’ll dive deeper into in a bit.
Can Picking Acne Make it Spread to Other Areas?
Perhaps you’re worried about spreading more of your own acne through picking.
If you’ve ever heard the age-old skincare advice that you should avoid touching your face if you’re prone to acne, then you already know that it’s not a good idea to pick at your acne. It should also be said that you need to refrain from popping your pimples as well if you want to prevent acne lesions and infection.
Disturbing pimples that contain infected pus can:
- Push the contents further underneath your skin
- Trigger inflammation under the skin’s surface
- Spread bacteria into other pores
All of these outcomes can lead to an even bigger, more troublesome bout of acne. If you want to achieve clear skin and avoid future skin lesions, avoid touching your face altogether.
Factors Contributing to Acne Transmission
Just as you would never borrow a friend’s comb if that friend were dealing with lice, you should avoid sharing cosmetic products and applicators that could be harboring acne-causing bacteria.
Although it’s certainly generous for friends to share, doing so in this case can cause an exchange of:
- Bacteria
- Oil
- Dead skin cells
All of these elements can contribute to clogging your pores and causing acne. Taking this simple precaution can save you and your friends from a breakout of pimples down the road.
Exploring the Role of Bacteria in Acne
Pimples form as a result of our pores becoming clogged with sebum—an oil that our skin produces to lubricate itself naturally.
But this oil is not what instigates the angry red bumps that we’ve come to associate with acne. Instead, this inflammation is the result of bacteria.
Cutibacterium acnes, also known as C. acnes, is a bacteria that lives in the oil on our skin. When this oil gets trapped inside the skin to form a pimple, C. acnes multiplies, causes the area to grow inflamed, and leads to uncomfortable sensations.
Preventive Measures to Minimize The Spread of Acne
Now that you know the role bacteria plays in the development of traditional acne, let’s take a quick look at a few easy practices you can use to discourage bacteria and also learn how to unclog pores to prevent future breakouts.
Importance of Personal Hygiene in Acne Prevention
Much like preventing sickness, one of the best things you can do to minimize your risk of acne is to stay clean. If you’re worried about spreading or succumbing to acne, make sure to:
- Wash your hands regularly – Our hands touch countless dirty surfaces throughout the day. The last thing you want to do is introduce the bacteria they’ve picked up along the way to your sensitive facial skin. Wash your hands with soap and water regularly to avoid further pimple problems.
- Wash your face daily – By cleansing your face regularly with a gentle cleanser, you can get rid of dirt, grime, dead skin cells, and bacteria that build up during the day and avoid allowing it to sit on your face while you sleep.
- Wash your makeup brushes every few weeks – The best thing you can do to prevent the spread of bacteria through makeup is to keep all of your products and brushes clean. Give them a good scrub with warm, soapy water every few weeks or every week if you’re prone to frequent acne breakouts.
Choosing the Right Skincare Products to Reduce Bacterial Growth
There are two skincare approaches you can take to reduce the chances of bacteria causing you to break out:
- Target it from the inside.
- Address it on the outside.
Here at CLEARSTEM, our dermatological experts have formulated solutions for both strategies. Add one or both to your skincare routine to zap harmful bacteria before they can instigate a zit:
- Hormonal Acne Supplement – Our MINDBODYSKIN® capsules control acne at its source. With powerful ingredients like dandelion root, which is shown to help the body dispose of unwanted skin bacteria, this treatment gives your body a boost in the battle against bacteria.
- Topical Anti-Acne Treatments – We offer a diverse selection of skincare solutions formulated with acne-fighting ingredients. One such solution is our Sulfur SPOT&MASK, a blend of clay, zinc, sulfur, and glycolic that zaps whiteheads and bacteria in a matter of minutes.
Stop Acne at the Source with Skincare Solutions from CLEARSTEM
Acne is a sensitive subject. Whether you’ve been worried about passing your acne on to others or nervous about getting too close to friends with acne breakouts, we hope the knowledge that traditional acne is not contagious helped you gain clarity and peace of mind.
Are pimples contagious? The answer is no—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay aware of swapping harmful skin bacteria with others.
Nipping acne in the bud starts with taking consistent care of your skin and eliminating bacteria from its surface through the use of smart, science-backed products. Browse our collection of CLEARSTEM solutions to build a skincare regimen that’s strong enough to stand up to bacteria and find the right acne treatment for your skin type.
Sources:
American Academy of Dermatology. 10 SKIN CARE HABITS THAT CAN WORSEN ACNE. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/skin-care/habits-stop#:~:text=Acne%20isn't%20contagious%2C%20but,skin%20cells%20to%20your%20skin.
Cleveland Clinic. Pimples. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22468-pimples
Healthline. Popping a Pimple: Should You or Shouldn’t You? https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/should-you-pop-a-pimple#should-you-pop
Acne.org. The Role of Bacteria in Acne. https://www.acne.org/the-role-of-bacteria-in-acne
