Does acne in specific areas indicate lesions in different internal organs?

Not really

The location of acne does not reflect the health of internal organs.

The formation of acne is mainly related to excessive secretion of sebaceous glands, blocked hair follicles, bacterial infection and inflammatory response, which are not directly related to specific internal organs. It should be noted that acne is mostly a skin problem and not a disease of the internal organs.

Acne in different parts of the body may reflect the local state of the skin rather than abnormalities of internal organs. For example, the sebaceous glands in the T-zone of the face are more active and prone to oil production, so acne (including blackheads) is more likely to occur in this area.

Similarly, acne on the forehead, chin, back and other parts of the body is often related to external factors such as personal hygiene, eating habits, stress, behavioral habits (such as frequent friction, wearing masks), etc.

Even though some diseases (such as PCOS) may have an internal disease, where acne is caused by hormone imbalance due to problems with the ovaries, this does not mean that the location of acne can be used to determine a specific internal disease.

From this we can see that, in many cases, skin diseases are diseases on the skin and are not necessarily external manifestations of internal organ problems.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital