Why Kissing Could Be What's Causing Your Breakouts

When you think of breakouts, some common causes that may come to mind might be clogged pores from makeup, the onset of puberty, or touching our face too frequently. But did you know that kissing your partner could also be a potential cause of those pesky pimples?

Specifically, if your partner sports facial hair, experts suggest it's their beard or mustache that could be causing the acne and skin irritation. In fact, there is a specific term for this occurrence. Skin care specialists at Everyday Health define what's known as acne mechanica as "a type of acne or pimples that's caused by skin friction, heat, pressure on the skin, or when skin isn't exposed to the air." This can result from any number of sources including the rubbing of a tight chin strap on the face, a hat with a particularly snug brim, or yes, stubble from a partner's facial hair.

In addition to the physical face rubbing, your partner's beard could also be carrying bacteria responsible for the breakouts. If they're not washing their face daily, bacteria can build up and then be transferred to the highly sensitive skin on your face.

Thankfully, there are some simple solutions to reduce the chances of a sudden unwelcome blemish. In essence, encourage your partner to embrace the "all or nothing" approach. On the one hand, keeping a freshly shaven face will reduce the chances of breakouts when stubble starts to grow in. On the other hand, go long! By allowing a full beard to grow out, the hair becomes softer with the more length it gathers and the occasional use of a conditioner can even further soften facial hair.

There's no need to lose hope as there's also more good news here. Some medical experts actually believe the opposite and have reason to think that kissing may actually prevent breakouts. Because acne can result from stress, kissing can provide a means to keep stress at bay. Specialists at Everyone's M.D. explain, "Cortisol, a natural chemical your body produces, is linked to acne. When you're stressed, your body creates more cortisol, so you have a higher risk of a breakout. However, kissing results in the release of happy hormones, namely endorphins." Therefore, low stress levels coupled with your partner's clean face can help prevent breakouts from occurring.