As you've probably already noticed, these breakouts aren't just annoying — they're painful, too. "Acne on the jawline can often turn nodular or cystic ," says Kerr. "They sit deeper within the skin and create more inflammation closer to the nerves, which is why they're so sore." As she explains, while your acne might be triggered by hormones, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have an existing problem — it’s more that your sebum production takes any fluctuations as a cue to start whizzing into action. "Lifestyle factors such as stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep will all have an impact on our hormones," says Kerr. "Often with women in their 30s, it could be choosing to come off the pill or other hormonal contraception. It can take time for our hormones to balance after a long time on it."