Pomade acne
Pomade acne is a breakout along the forehead and temples caused by oily hair products. It was named in a 1970 study of 735 men who used scalp creams and oils every day: about 70 percent of the long-term pomade users had it.
Any hair product that reaches the skin can do the same, shampoo and conditioner included. If you are choosing a wash for a breakout along the hairline, our guide to non-comedogenic shampoos for scalp acne reads each formula against the pore-clogging list.
What it looks like
Plewig, Fulton and Kligman described rather uniform closed comedones, small skin-coloured bumps, with an occasional red papule or pustule. Under the microscope it looked the same as ordinary acne. What sets it apart is where it sits.
The American Academy of Dermatology describes breakouts from hair products along the hairline, the upper forehead, or both, and sometimes along the back of the neck. The same thing caused by skincare or makeup is called acne cosmetica, and pomade acne is the hair version of it.
What the 1970 study found
- About 70 percent of the long-term pomade users examined had the eruption.
- The more elaborate formulations brought it on more often and more strongly than the simplest preparations tested.
- Five pomades kept on back skin under a covering for eight weeks produced the first signs of comedones under the microscope.
Those men used the products daily for years, so the study shows what long, heavy use can do. It does not say that a single application of a hair oil will cause a breakout.
Oils, butters and esters on our list
A selection of the oils, butters and esters our list rates, highest first. Each rating is for the raw ingredient on its own. To read a whole hair product label, paste it into the ingredient checker.
| Ingredient | Rating | Published as |
|---|---|---|
| Shea Butter | 0–5 High risk | A widely used, rich African plant butter that moisturizes and protects the skin barrier. |
| Argan Oil | 3–5 High risk | A popular plant oil used to condition skin and hair; rating varies by skin type. |
| Olive Oil | 3–5 High risk | A classic, heavy culinary oil used for extreme dryness; can be disruptive to the skin barrier. |
| Avocado Oil | 3–5 High risk | A highly nourishing, heavy oil used for dry and mature skin types. |
| Sweet Almond Oil | 3–5 High risk | A deeply nourishing, classic emollient used to relieve dryness and itching. |
| Coconut Oil | 4–5 High risk | A highly popular, solid-at-room-temp plant oil used as a heavy occlusive moisturizer. |
| Isopropyl Myristate | 5 High risk | A ubiquitous synthetic oil used to reduce the greasy feel of lotions; highly pore-clogging. |
| Lanolin Oil | 2–4 High risk | A heavy, wax-like substance secreted by sheep; one of the most effective known occlusives. |
| Cocoa Butter | 4 High risk | A heavy, solid plant fat used to provide deep moisture and structural rigidity to products. |
| Isopropyl Palmitate | 4 High risk | A palm oil derivative used to thicken products and give them a silky feel. |
| Castor Oil | 1–2 Low risk | A thick, viscous oil used to lock in moisture and often used in lip glosses and soaps. |
| Jojoba Oil | 2 Low risk | Technically a liquid wax that closely mimics human sebum; highly stable and moisturizing. |
What to do about it
The American Academy of Dermatology suggests these steps:
- Stop using the hair product you think is causing it.
- Look for a replacement labelled "won't clog pores", "oil free", "non-comedogenic" or "non-acnegenic". Those labels are the brand's own claim, so check the ingredient list too.
- Wash anything that touches your hair and forehead: pillowcases, caps, hats, headbands and visors.
- Allow 4 to 6 weeks for the skin to clear.
- See a dermatologist if it has not improved within 6 weeks.
Common questions
What is pomade acne?
It is acne along the forehead and temples caused by oily hair products. A 1970 study by Plewig, Fulton and Kligman named it after finding it in about 70 percent of long-term pomade users among 735 men who used scalp creams and oils daily. The bumps were mostly small closed comedones.
How long does pomade acne take to go away?
The American Academy of Dermatology says to stop the product and allow 4 to 6 weeks for the skin to clear, and to see a dermatologist if it has not improved within 6 weeks.
Can shampoo or conditioner cause acne?
The American Academy of Dermatology lists shampoos and conditioners among the hair products that can cause breakouts along the hairline, alongside gels, waxes, pastes, sprays, shaving cream and aftershave. A rinse-off product spends less time on the skin than a pomade, but what runs down the face and neck in the shower still touches it.
Find a shampoo for scalp acne
The shampoo guide reads each formula's ingredient list against our pore-clogging list and says what it found.
More questions about breakouts
Sources used on this page
- Plewig G, Fulton JE, Kligman AM. “Pomade acne.” Archives of Dermatology, May 1970;101(5):580–584. (opens in a new tab) Examined 735 Black men who used scalp creams and oils daily. About 70 percent of long-term users had an eruption on the forehead and temples, mostly closed comedones. Eight weeks of occlusion with five pomades on back skin produced early comedones under the microscope.
- American Academy of Dermatology, “Are your hair care products causing breakouts?”. (opens in a new tab) Breakouts along the hairline, upper forehead or back of the neck; stop the product, wash anything that touches the hair, and allow 4 to 6 weeks to clear.
- Fulton JE Jr, Pay SR, Fulton JE 3rd. “Comedogenicity of current therapeutic products, cosmetics, and ingredients in the rabbit ear.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, January 1984;10(1):96–105. (opens in a new tab) The published ingredient-by-ingredient ratings that most comedogenic lists, including this one, trace back to.
- Draelos ZD, DiNardo JC. “A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, March 2006;54(3):507–512. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2005.11.1058 (opens in a new tab) Found that animal-model results did not reliably predict what happened on human skin, and that a rating for a single ingredient does not tell you how a finished product will behave.
- American Academy of Dermatology, “Acne: When to see a dermatologist”. (opens in a new tab)