Adult Acne - Facts and Ways to Deal With It
Research shows that nearly 50% women and 25% men have suffered from acne at some point of time during their life span.
Generally this is observed during adolescence but in many cases acne simply refuses to go and even as adults you have to live with this frustrating skin condition.
Adult acne can be of many types and the acne that continues irrespective of the age of the sufferer would be termed as 'persistent acne'.
Some people may also be startled seeing the sudden acne breakout on their faces even though they have not suffered earlier; this is known as 'late-onset acne'.
The reasons for developing adult acne can be various.
Pantothenic acid acne is one that is caused by the deficiency of vitamin B5 in an individual.
To cure this, acne vitamins have always played a major role.
Some women who were on oral contraceptive pills for some time may develop sudden acne when they stop those pills.
Hormonal fluctuations in women during menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause and puberty also cause sudden acne breakouts during this time.
Certain medications like corticosteroids, anticonvulsant drugs etc are also known to cause acne in people.
Adult acne can also be related to your genetics.
If you have a family history of acne, there are chances that you too would suffer from it.
The environment we live in also triggers acne.
Pollutants, dirt, dust, grease and grime in the environment are detrimental for the skin and may cause acne.
Along with these factors the high stress in the daily life is also known to cause acne breakouts.
The relation between stress and acne has been explained scientifically.
An increase in stress levels causes secretion of androgens in the body.
This increase of androgens in the body causes an increase in the oil secretion by the sebaceous glands.
This increased oil acts like food for bacteria to feast on and causes acne on the face.
Along with the surroundings and the atmosphere you live in, especially for ladies, the make-up they apply can cause acne many a times.
Many products are oil-based and tend to block or clog the pores causing acne.
It would be better to make a switch to water based make-up products so that you can do make-up but not at the expense of your skin.
While picking products take care to read that they are 'non-comedogenic'.
You should not ignore the blackheads on your face as they are the beginning of acne.
When pores get clogged with dirt and oil bacteria also attack them.
On exposure to air and by regular touching, they become inflamed and cause acne.
Scrubbing of blackheads is not advised as it may cause further inflammation.
Exfoliants with alpha-hydroxy acids are good for acne skin.
Benzoyl Peroxide is known to be quite effective in treating adult acne.
Treatment of adult acne differs from that of a teen.
Cleanse your skin with a mild cleanser with benzoyl peroxide and a salicylic acid exfoliation treatment two to three times a week would give you excellent results.
Generally this is observed during adolescence but in many cases acne simply refuses to go and even as adults you have to live with this frustrating skin condition.
Adult acne can be of many types and the acne that continues irrespective of the age of the sufferer would be termed as 'persistent acne'.
Some people may also be startled seeing the sudden acne breakout on their faces even though they have not suffered earlier; this is known as 'late-onset acne'.
The reasons for developing adult acne can be various.
Pantothenic acid acne is one that is caused by the deficiency of vitamin B5 in an individual.
To cure this, acne vitamins have always played a major role.
Some women who were on oral contraceptive pills for some time may develop sudden acne when they stop those pills.
Hormonal fluctuations in women during menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause and puberty also cause sudden acne breakouts during this time.
Certain medications like corticosteroids, anticonvulsant drugs etc are also known to cause acne in people.
Adult acne can also be related to your genetics.
If you have a family history of acne, there are chances that you too would suffer from it.
The environment we live in also triggers acne.
Pollutants, dirt, dust, grease and grime in the environment are detrimental for the skin and may cause acne.
Along with these factors the high stress in the daily life is also known to cause acne breakouts.
The relation between stress and acne has been explained scientifically.
An increase in stress levels causes secretion of androgens in the body.
This increase of androgens in the body causes an increase in the oil secretion by the sebaceous glands.
This increased oil acts like food for bacteria to feast on and causes acne on the face.
Along with the surroundings and the atmosphere you live in, especially for ladies, the make-up they apply can cause acne many a times.
Many products are oil-based and tend to block or clog the pores causing acne.
It would be better to make a switch to water based make-up products so that you can do make-up but not at the expense of your skin.
While picking products take care to read that they are 'non-comedogenic'.
You should not ignore the blackheads on your face as they are the beginning of acne.
When pores get clogged with dirt and oil bacteria also attack them.
On exposure to air and by regular touching, they become inflamed and cause acne.
Scrubbing of blackheads is not advised as it may cause further inflammation.
Exfoliants with alpha-hydroxy acids are good for acne skin.
Benzoyl Peroxide is known to be quite effective in treating adult acne.
Treatment of adult acne differs from that of a teen.
Cleanse your skin with a mild cleanser with benzoyl peroxide and a salicylic acid exfoliation treatment two to three times a week would give you excellent results.
