As temperatures drop and your winter layers come out, you might suddenly be dealing with stubborn breakouts along your cheeks, jawline or chin.

While cold weather, shifts in your skin care routine and holiday stress can all play a role, you may be overlooking another surprising culprit: your scarf.

According to dermatologists, winter scarves can quietly create the perfect storm for irritation and breakouts. If it touches your skin all winter long, it deserves the same level of hygiene as your pillowcase or makeup brushes.

To understand what’s really going on – and how to stop it – we spoke with Dr. Corey L. Hartman, founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama, and Dr. Kseniya Kobets, director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore-Einstein Advanced Care in Elmsford, New York.

How your winter scarf might be causing acne

Scarves collect everything they come into contact with throughout the day, trapping “dirt, oil and impurities within the fabric, and then transferring those impurities to the face,” Hartman said. The result is acne or skin irritation.

“Scarves can also give minor friction irritations or burns, especially if the scarf uses an itchy fabric,” Hartman added. “These small irritations in the skin are microtears on the skin’s surface, which then enable acne-causing bacteria to penetrate the skin barrier.”

What looks like acne on the lower face isn’t always traditional acne, either. “Wearing scarves could trigger other conditions like folliculitis, contact dermatitis or........

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