Adult acne or acne that persists beyond 25 years of age or appears for the first time in adult life can be pretty frustrating for anyone
But it can happen and is pretty common!
To manage acne an understanding of what causes adult acne in the first place is very important. There are four interlinked factors that lead to acne – you may have 1 or all of them
These factors include excessive oil proody.
Dr. Hinah Altaf, Dermatology Specialist in Dubai is saying that whenever she diagnoses an adult with acne, the inevitable question is ‘But doctor am I not way beyond the age for acne?
Yes, you are!duction, plugging of the pores in the skin, infection and inflammation.
Hormones, stress, the menstrual cycle in women, some medicines, make up products, hair care and skin care products have a say in these factors.
Its very imporrant to understand the causes and worsening factors to address the issue of acne completely.
The main causative factors of adult acne at any age are:
- Excess oil production which can be in response to hormonal changes expected during teenage, stress, menstrual cycle
- Plugging of the pores with skin cell debris or make up products, facial oils, even hair care products
- Infection with acne causing bacteria
- Inflammation in response to all the above factors.
The normal course in majority of cases is that it settles by the end of teenage years.
In a significant number of patients, the acne persists and can be quite resistant to treatment.
While evaluating a case of adult acne underlying hormonal factors need to be evaluated to begin with.
Adult acne usually will require some form of oral medication in the form of oral contraceptives, spironolactone, antibiotics, or a combination of these. Chemical peels are also helpful along with cleansing facials.
What you can do to lessen the appearance of acne, is:
- Avoid oiling the hair
- Avoid using harsh soaps and facewashes is leading to excessive dryness and subsequent need for a moisturizer
- A gentle cleanse is sufficient
Attention also needs to be paid to what we are consuming:
- Foods like white bread, potato chips, fries, sweets, doughnuts, pastries, sugary drinks like milkshakes have a high glycemic index and are known to worsen acne and their intake needs to be reduced if not completely stopped.
In fact, increasing the consumption of foods like fresh vegetables, some fruits, beans which have a low glycemic index improves acne
