Prevent Sports-Related Acne

For the athlete who wears a helmet, acne may become a mild annoyance or even a serious problem. You’ve probably heard people speak of letting skin breathe, and while it doesn’t “breathe” like the lungs do, it certainly needs access to what the air offers to be at its healthiest. Some of the most common acne problems for athletes are due to helmets, and often occur on the forehead, cheeks, on the back of the neck at the hairline and of course, on the chin.

While some “helmet acne” may qualify as an “activity hazard,” and is unavoidable due to the nature of a rubbing, skin irritant, some aspects of it can be manageable—especially chin strap-related acne.

No, there is no cure for any type of acne, and when you’re wearing a helmet, you’re fighting an uphill battle vs. the zit; however, the zits are a small price to pay for the enjoyment of competing in athletics—how about a compromise?

Maintain Your Equipment and Keep Acne in Check

As you know by now, acne develops from a simple clogging of follicles, when sebum, a naturally occurring skin oil, clogs the sebaceous gland along with dead skin cells. Add a common, mild bacterial infection and inflammation frequently follows. Due to the nature of developing acne, it is easy to understand how an external variable, such as a chin strap from a helmet, would provide a thriving environment to chin acne.

If you use a chin strap for your helmet, you should be sure to keep your chin strap clean, and consider investing in a model that won’t absorb sweat and bacteria into the fabric. If you do use a nylon, or cloth chin strap, it is highly recommended that you launder it regularly with a mild, hypo-allergenic detergent to help fight the battle against consistent chin acne breakouts. Many athletes will use a terrycloth wrist band over a plastic/foam molded chin strap, so it is easier to maintain.

Helmets, Chin and Jawline Acne

Many helmets will cause acne along the chin and jawline, even when a chin strap isn’t implemented. This can be especially true for baseball players. The padding that is provided in baseball helmets is something that is often left damp with sweat after being used. Most young baseball players will take said helmet, and put it into their gear bag. That environment is perfect for skin irritants to develop—both bacteria and fungus.

The next time it is put on, the old mixes with the new, the sweat drips down the jaw line to the chin, and eventually dries as the competition comes to a close. This soup of sweat and “stuff” will aid in clogging follicles, and again, it’s no surprise that acne develops in these areas.

Many of the high dollar helmets are now made with padding to combat these potential problems, yet to avoid acne from a baseball helmet, a regular cleaning and use of a mild disinfectant spray will help prolong the life of the helmet and reduce the acne it may cause.

Skin Care Regimen

The best way to help prevent acne from helmet usage is to offer your skin an effective and gentle skin care regimen. Always be sure that it is cleansed after competition. Also, if possible, consider only using a chin strap during game action, or when necessary during drills. Be sure to maintain your equipment and keep it clean from bacteria, and fungus that will push padding toward a state of dry rot.