Adult Acne

1 in 5 adults between the ages of 25 and 44 and nearly half of all adult women experience mild to moderate acne. Research has proven that most adult acne is not caused by your diet,
stress, or surface dirt and oil.

What Causes Adult Acne?

No one factor causes acne. Acne happens when oil (sebaceous) glands come to life around puberty stimulated by male hormones from the adrenal glands of both boys and girls. Oil is a natural substance in acne which lubricates and protects the skin, and under certain circumstances, cells that are close to the surface block the openings of sebaceous glands and cause a buildup of oil underneath. This oil stimulates bacteria, (which live in everyone's skin and generally cause no problems), to multiply and cause surrounding tissues to become inflamed in turn which causes acne.

If the inflammation is right near the surface, you get a pustule; if it's deeper, a papule (pimple); deeper still and it's a cyst. If the oil breaks though to the surface, the result is a "whitehead." If the oil becomes oxidized (that is, acted on by oxygen in the air), the oil changes from white to black, and the result is a "blackhead."

Some factors that don't usually cause acne, at least by themselves are:

• Heredity in relation to Acne: With the exception of very severe acne, most people do not have the problem exactly as their parents did. Almost everyone has some acne at some point in their life.
• Food in relation to Acne: All over the world, parents tell teens to stay away from pizza to avoid acne, chocolate to avoid acne, greasy and fried foods to avoid acne, and junk food to avoid acne. While these foods may not be good for overall health, they don't cause acne or make it worse.
• Dirt in relation to Acne: Some individuals have more "oily" skin than others (as mentioned above, "Blackheads" are oxidized oil, not dirt). Sweat does not cause acne, therefore, it is not necessary to shower instantly after exercise for fear that sweat will clog pores. On the other hand, excessive washing can dry and irritate the skin.
• Stress in relation to Acne: Some people get so upset by their pimples that they pick at them and make them last longer. Stress, however, does not play much of a direct role in causing acne.
• Hormones in relation to Acne: Some women break out cyclically, but most women (and men) don't. Some oral contraceptive pills may help relieve acne, but unless a woman has abnormal menstrual periods and excessive hair growth, it's unlikely that hormones play much of a role in causing acne.
• Cosmetics in relation to Acne: Most cosmetic and skin care products are not pore-clogging (“comedogenic.”) Of the many available brands, those which are listed as “water-based” or “oil-free” are generally a better choice.

In occasional patients, contributing factors may be:

• Pressure in relation to Acne: In some patients, pressure from helmets, chinstraps, collars, and the like can aggravate acne.
• Drugs in relation to Acne: Some medications may cause or worsen acne, such as those containing iodides, bromides, or oral or injected steroids (either the medically prescribed prednisone or the steroids bodybuilders or athletes take.) Most cases of acne, however, are not drug-related.
• Occupations in relation to Acne: In some jobs, exposure to industrial products like cutting oils may produce acne.

What can I do to help prevent adult acne?

Being an adult with mild to moderate acne, you need an acne treatment that is specifically formulated for your skin. Using acne products designed for teenage
skin can lead to irritation and dryness.

It is recommended that you consult your doctor to find out which acne treatment or combination of acne treatments is best for you.

For more information about acne and different articles of acne, Total Skin and Beauty Dermatology Center's very own Gary D. Monheit has articles on acne:

Acne Scars Dermabrasion, CO2 Laser Or Combinations