Acne showing up only on one side of the face puzzles many people. It often comes from everyday habits that affect just one cheek or jawline more than the other.
One big reason is how you hold your phone. When you talk or scroll, the phone presses against the same side of your face each time. This rubs the skin, traps oils from your face, and picks up dirt or bacteria from the screen. Over days, this clogs pores and sparks pimples. Studies show this happens in over 60 percent of one-sided acne cases. The heat from the phone can also turn skin oils sticky, making breakouts worse.
Sleeping on one side plays a role too. Your pillowcase builds up bacteria and dead skin overnight. If you always rest your face on the left or right cheek, that side gets more friction and grime. This leads to irritated follicles, small red bumps that stick around.
Touching your face with one hand more than the other spreads oils, makeup residue, or even tiny plastic bits from your phone case. These mix with sweat and block pores on that side only.
Sun exposure can be uneven too. If you drive a lot or sit near a window, one side of your face gets more UV rays. This damages skin over time, trapping sebum and forming cysts or blackheads without much redness, like in a condition called Favre-Racouchot syndrome.
Nerves might add to it. Pressure or habits can trigger inflammation through facial nerves, making one side flare up.
Less common causes include allergies from hair dye or makeup that touch one side more. Or always chewing on one side, which changes how skin and muscles work there.
To ease it, clean your phone daily, switch sleeping sides, wash pillowcases weekly, and use gentle cleansers. See a doctor if it does not improve.
Sources
https://www.alibaba.com/product-insights/why-does-my-face-break-out-only-on-one-side-and-is-it-linked-to-phone-usage.html
https://www.consultant360.com/articles/favre-racouchot-syndrome
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12733689/
https://eyewiki.org/Periocular_(Periorbital)_Dermatitis
https://www.alibaba.com/product-insights/why-does-my-face-break-out-only-on-one-side-and-how-to-fix-the-imbalance.html
