What You Need To Know About Adult Acne
ByWhen I was around 14 years old, I struggled with horrifying cystic acne. At the time it seemed like the end of the world, as if I didn’t feel awkward enough with a unibrow and braces. I went to dermatologists, bought countless acne product and spent hours in front of the mirror trying to figure out a way to hide it. Back then, I knew nothing about skin care-so of course everything I did made it way worse. Luckily, some time passed and I grew out of it… but not for long. Almost immediately when I turned 21 the acne came back, this time I was educated in skin care and knew how to control it. To this day I haven’t had a problem with acne, but my skin is still acne prone and pimples still show up occasionally. I know there are many women and men just like me who suffer with adult acne. In fact, as a skin professional who councils acne sufferers everyday, about 80% of the calls I get are from adult women in their 40′s suffering with cystic acne. This isn’t surprising…studies have shown that cases of adult acne are more prominent today than they were 10 years ago. About 30% of women and 20% of men (ages 20-60) are now dealing with consistent breakouts. Experts say it’s likely that more are experiencing this skin issue later in life due to increased stress, less exercise, poor diet and lifestyle factors.
Adult acne is much like teenage acne, there are many contributing factors but there is no cure. The main difference with adult acne is that our skin changes as we age. It is less resilient, our cells regenerate at a slower pace and we produce less collagen. This makes treating adult acne a bit tricky. Most over the counter acne treatments are geared towards younger skin and are too harsh for most skin types. Also, if you want to really be acne free for life, you have to do a bit more than put a pimple cream on everyday.
CAUSES
In order to treat adult acne effectively, we have to examine the causes. Usually it is a combination of internal and external factors that happen all at once and cause acne breakouts.
Internal
- Decreased Cell Turnover. This happens as we age, at around the age of 22 our cells regenerate at a slower pace and it gets slower and slower as we get older. This increases the chance of dead cell buildup in the hair follicle because your skin isn’t shedding the dead cells as quickly.
- Hormones. Certain hormonal changes that happen when we get older can cause a surge of androgens that attack hair follicles, causing them to become inflamed – which increases the chance of a follicle getting clogged, resulting infection and so on.
- Poor Diet. Malnutrition and eating too much processed food can cause a build up of toxins in the body and effect the way your body functions. The skin is the largest and outermost organ we have, so naturally, acne is a way your body can communicate to you that you aren’t healthy, and things aren’t running smoothly on the inside.
- Stress. We all have it… we all hate it… but we all have to deal with it one way or another. If you don’t find a healthy way to relieve stress in your daily life, it will build up and effect your health… and skin. Increased stress causes a surge in hormones which, as I mentioned before… causes acne.
External
- Friction. Any kind of friction to the skin can irritate it and spread bacteria. If you rest your head on your palm, wear tight fitting clothes or hats, hold the phone up to your cheek…etc. These common gestures can contribute to trapping dirt, dead cells and debris in the follicle and transfer bacteria onto the skin – causing pimples.
- Bad Cosmetics. Whether it’s pore clogging make up, an irritating face wash or cheap shampoo… any cosmetic product with comedogenic, harsh or toxic ingredients can cause an acne flare up.
- Environmental/Lifestyle Factors. Too much time in the sun, excessive alcohol consumption or smoking and lack of sleep are all bad habits that will damage your skin cells and cause all sorts of problems, acne being one of them.
TREAT AND PREVENT
Now that you know what could be causing your break outs… it’s time to make the appropriate changes to your lifestyle and choose a results oriented skin care regimen with products that will balance and heal your skin. I have compiled a list of tips that I have learned will help achieve and maintain healthy, blemish free skin as an adult.
- Be healthy on the inside. A healthy diet will do wonders for your skin, but certain foods effect the skin more than others. Example; Soy helps with wrinkles, dark chocolate boosts circulation. For healing acne, you want vitamins and minerals that balance (salmon, almonds), heal(Apples, leafy greens, carrots) and protect (strawberries, tomatoes, oranges) Also, you will want to take a multi vitamin with Zinc and b5 to heal your acne and reduce sebum production from the inside.
- Exercise. It relieves stress and boosts circulation- exercise is vital to the overall health of your body and skin.
- No Chemicals. Choose skin care products that will treat your acne, not just your acne symptoms. Chemical based acne treatments just get rid of the pimple and they are so harsh they damage the rest of your skin. Long term use of these chemical based products can have terrible side effects – one of them being ACNE. To control your breakouts, all you need is a simple morning and evening regimen and daily face mask to keep pores clear. You will want to choose products that are concentrated with natural ingredients and gentle exfoliates (glycolic acid is a great choice)… don’t over use the products but stay consistent with how you use them.
- Be Gentle With Your Skin. Use your hands to cleanse your skin instead of scrubbing with a a harsh cloth. Older skin is more likely to be sensitive and reactionary. Any kind of irritation can be trouble.
- Check Your Cosmetics. Search a list of pore clogging chemicals via the internet and make sure your make up is okay to use. Also, clean your make up brushes twice a week.
- Protect ALL Exposed Areas From The Sun. Choose a broad spectrum, oil free, mineral based sunscreen and apply it throughout the day. UV damage is the main cause of premature aging. The cell damage that is caused by UV rays will contribute to adult acne by drying out the skin – which leads to excessive sebum production as your skin tries to compensate for the dryness.
- Prevention Is The Best Form Of Treatment. When dealing with any skin concern- acne, wrinkles, scars…etc. It takes time, effort and consistency to treat. The best thing you can do is start today with a quality skin care regimen, constant sun protection and a healthy lifestyle. Even if your only 18 and you don’t have a single line on your face- anti aging products have antioxidants that will keep your skin youthful. The payoff will be looking like your 25 when your really 35.. definitely worth it.
