What are the concerns of having oily skin?Updated a year ago
Having oily skin isn’t necessarily a problem or something to worry about, but the problems it can cause are a different story! Here are some specific concerns that can come along with having skin that produces a lot of oily.
- Acne: Acne is an extremely common condition with a complex and multifactorial pathophysiology. Oil production plays a role, but so does the actual composition of your sebum, your pores' propensity to clogging, your skin's tendency towards inflammation, and how hospitable an environment your skin is for the acne bacteria (which also depends on a broad range of factors).
- Dehydration: Those with oily skin often experience dehydration (i.e., lack of water in the skin) as a result of having an overly stripping or non-moisturizing skincare routine. When dehydrated, the skin feels tight and often looks flakey. The worst part is that dehydration can lead to a disrupted skin barrier that’s more susceptible to damage or inflammation, including breakouts. Ironically, a disrupted barrier may also lead to increased oiliness at the surface of the skin.
- Pore size: Having oily skin correlates with larger pores. Although having visible pores is perfectly normal, many people find them undesirable. Thankfully, their appearance can be somewhat reduced through exfoliating or skin-renewing skincare.
- Signs of aging: While we don’t often associate preventing signs of aging with oily skin types, chances are that wrinkle prevention is still something you care about. Thankfully, many skincare ingredients that help reduce texture or fade breakouts can also help with premature aging - especially retinoids.
- Scarring and pigmentation: For those with oily, acne-prone skin, it’s common to develop scars or hyperpigmentation after breakouts heal.
- Seborrheic dermatitis: Those with oily skin are a little more prone to seborrheic dermatitis, which is a condition that causes flaky or itchy rashes and is closely related to dandruff.
- Sensitive skin conditions: Having oily skin and rosacea or atopic dermatitis at the same time can be difficult. You'll need to prioritize keeping your skin soothed and intact, while addressing signs of oiliness should come second.