Can hair styling products cause acne?

This is a common question by both men and women for dermatologists.  Acne is caused by a combination of bacteria on the skin, inflammation, excessive oil, and clogged pores.  A person’s hair styling products range from hair spray to forming cream to hair gel.  In general, these grooming products don’t cause acne.  However, some of the more oily products, such as pomade and other greasy pastes, can accidentally come in contact with the skin of the frontal hair line (basically where the forehead meets the hair line) and cause breakouts.  Blackheads and whiteheads are the result, and are caused by the product clogging the opening of the hair follicle.  Cases of red bumps are sometimes caused by hair spray application on the forehead, which results from blockage of the sweat ducts.