Free quiz · 7 questions · no signup
What type of acne do I have?
Hormonal, fungal, comedonal, and inflammatory acne look similar in the mirror but respond to completely different treatment. Seven questions to identify which pattern yours follows.
CostFree
TimeUnder 1 min
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What do your breakouts mostly look like?
The science
Why acne type matters more than acne severity
01
Most acne advice fails because it treats acne as one condition. It is at least four distinct patterns: comedonal (clogged pores — blackheads and closed comedones), inflammatory (red papules and pustules driven by bacteria and immune response), hormonal-pattern (deep, cyclical, jawline-concentrated), and fungal (malassezia folliculitis — yeast, not bacteria, and not technically acne at all).
02
Each responds to different treatment. Salicylic acid excels on comedonal; benzoyl peroxide on inflammatory; hormonal-pattern often needs prescription-level intervention to fully control; and fungal bumps ignore every classic acne product — they need antifungals, and oil-heavy skincare can literally feed them.
03
This quiz reads the diagnostic signals clinicians use — morphology, location, timing, itch, and treatment history — to place your pattern. Mixed patterns are common; the quiz surfaces your dominant one, which is where treatment should start.
Why typing your acne changes the treatment
Hormonal acne (jawline-chin distribution, cycle-linked flares) responds to different tools than the rest — for many, topicals alone underperform until the hormonal driver is addressed with dermatologist-prescribed options. Fungal "acne" is yeast, so everything antibacterial fails and antifungals win — the most consequential misdiagnosis on this list. Comedonal acne (clogs without much inflammation) is retinoid territory. Inflammatory acne adds benzoyl peroxide. Most people are mixed, but knowing your dominant type sets the first product you buy — and explains why your friend’s routine did nothing for you.
FAQ
Common questions
How do I know if my acne is hormonal?+
The classic signature: concentrated on the jawline, chin, and lower face; deep and tender rather than surface-level; and flaring on a monthly rhythm, typically the week before a period. If topicals clear everywhere except the jawline, that remainder is usually hormonal.
What does fungal acne look like?+
Uniform small bumps of similar size, often itchy, clustered on the forehead, hairline, chest, or back — worse with sweat and occlusive clothing. Two strong tells: regular acne products do nothing, and antifungal washes visibly help within weeks.
Can I have more than one type of acne?+
Very commonly — comedonal plus inflammatory is the default combination, and hormonal flares can sit on top of either. Treat the dominant pattern first; the quiz identifies which that is.
What does hormonal acne look like?+
Deep, often tender lesions concentrated on the lower face — jawline, chin, lower cheeks — flaring predictably with the cycle, in adults more than teens. Distribution plus timing is the tell; the treatment conversation is dermatologist-grade.
Why does my acne come back when treatment stops?+
Acne is managed, not cured — the underlying pore behavior resumes when treatment stops. Maintenance (usually a retinoid a few nights a week) after clearing is standard practice, not treatment failure.
Keep going
Skin type test →
Eight questions to place you as dry, oily, combination, normal, or sensitive-leaning.
Acne severity test →
Six questions that place your breakouts on a mild-to-severe scale and explain the bands.
Dehydrated skin test →
Tell dehydration apart from dry skin — one is a lack of water, the other a lack of oil.