Frequent Touching of Face – A Habit That Can Harm Your Skin

 Frequent Touching of Face – A Habit That Can Harm Your Skin

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“Doctor, main kuch nahi lagata, phir bhi pimples hote rehte hain…”

“Face clean rakhta hoon, lekin acne rukta nahi.”

“Main toh bas thoda-thoda face chhoota hoon… kya usse problem hoti hai?”

Yes, hoti hai.

Touching your face again and again — even with clean-looking hands — can silently damage your skin.

Let’s understand how this simple habit is causing more harm than you think 👇

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🖐️ Why Touching Your Face Is a Problem

Your hands touch everything — phone, money, door handles, table, remote, bike handles, etc.

Even if your palms look clean, they carry:

• Germs

• Dust

• Oil

• Pollution

• Bacteria

Now imagine transferring all of this to your face skin, especially when:

• You rest your chin on your hand

• Rub your forehead while thinking

• Scratch or poke at pimples

• Wipe sweat with bare hands

This small habit leads to:

• Acne breakouts

• Worsening of existing pimples

• Spread of infection

• Pigmentation and marks

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📍 Common Places You Might Be Touching Without Realising:

Habit	Effect
Leaning face on hand while using phone	Transfers germs to cheeks
Popping pimples with nails	Causes infection and scars
Rubbing eyes or nose frequently	Can trigger irritation
Scratching forehead or beard	Causes micro-tears and acne
Using handkerchief/masks again and again	Traps bacteria, touches skin

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🧼 What Happens When You Keep Touching Your Face?

1. Blocked pores – due to oil and dirt from hands

2. Friction and pressure – skin gets irritated and inflamed

3. Infection risk – bacteria enters through small cuts or pimples

4. Delayed healing – your acne takes longer to heal, and scars more easily

5. Post-acne pigmentation – especially in Indian skin types

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🛑 How to Break This Habit

✅ Be Aware

• Just notice how often you touch your face in a day

• You’ll be surprised!

✅ Keep Your Hands Busy

• If you’re sitting idle, use a pen or keep your hands folded

• Avoid placing hands on face while watching TV or studying

✅ Keep Tissues or Face Wipes Handy

• If you sweat or feel itchy, use a tissue or clean cloth

• Don’t wipe with your hands or sleeves

✅ Keep Hands Clean

• Wash your hands or use sanitizer often — especially before applying any skincare

• Trim your nails short (they carry dirt and bacteria too)

✅ Tie Hair or Use a Band

• Hair falling on the face makes us touch it more

• Keeping it away helps reduce the temptation

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👨‍⚕️ Dr. Rizwan’s Advice:

Most people come to the clinic and say,

“I don’t use any wrong cream, then why do I get acne?”

But many forget how often they:

• Pick at their face

• Rub it while thinking

• Pop or squeeze pimples at home

This is enough to delay your skin healing or create new problems.

So if you’re struggling with constant breakouts or irritation, start by observing your own hands — they may be your skin’s biggest enemy right now.

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📌 Quick Skin-Safe Habits:

✔️ Use earphones while talking instead of pressing phone to face

✔️ Don’t pop pimples (leave it to your doctor)

✔️ Avoid sharing pillow covers, towels, or hankies

✔️ Follow a gentle skin routine — but don’t keep touching your skin to “check”

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Final Words:

Touching your face seems harmless, but for your skin — it’s like an invisible attack happening all day.

Change this one habit, and you’ll notice clearer skin within weeks.

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📍Struggling with acne or pigmentation?

Visit Dr. Rizwan’s Skin Cosmetic and Laser Clinic, Shahjahanpur

📲 Message or call us — we’ll help you fix the root of the problem.

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💬 Comment below:

What’s one thing you’ve realised about your own skin habits today?

Let’s start improving together!