Acne - Not Just A Problem For Teenagers

Twenty-five percent of all adult men and fifty percent of all adult women suffer from some form of acne. These are the facts but how many adults have never had at least one acne flare up in their adult life? Adults can develop acne well into adulthood- twenties, thirties and forties and beyond that even. No acne is pleasant but somehow adult acne seems worse as acne is typically thought of as an adolescence problem. In reality adult acne, or any acne for that matter, is very hard to deal with and can lead to depression, a negative self-image and social anxiety may occur as well. The causes of adult acne are different for all people and the treatments vary as mush as the causes do. Most adult acne can be treated and managed effectively.

The causes of adult acne are unknown; some people think that adult acne has hormonal roots. The appropriate adult pimple treatment may involve balancing your hormones, which typically requires a trip to your healthcare provider or dermatologist for some testing to conclude that hormones are indeed the problem. The development of a pimple is very detailed and very intricate. While it is known that pores that are clogged can block oil from escaping, it is not known why it happens in one pore and not another. It is also not known why this does not happen in all of the pores. The many causes of adult acne and teen acne include hormone imbalance, diet, genetics, vitamin deficiency, stress, and more. The real explanation may be a complex mix of many of these factors. Since it is not know what causes pimples, it is important to focus on the proper treatment of acne.

Acne is often considered a hormonal disease or condition, meaning hormones are responsible for the maturing of the oil producing glands in our skin. Did you ever wonder why you never see acne on a young child? Young children do not have the hormones needed to mature the skin's oils. Once a person becomes and adult there are many things that can throw our hormones out of balance and in turn wreak havoc on our skin, among other things. Some things that cause such imbalances are puberty, pregnancy, menopause and many other things that cause hormones to flare up. Acne may be precipitated by androgens, the male hormones found in men and women. Oil surpluses made by these hormones are the biggest cause of clogged pores and hair follicles, which results in bacteria growth and acne pimples and blemishes. Acne that is caused by hormones is typically more prevalent in women during natural cycles like menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.

Treatment for adult acne is very effective and there are many forms of treatment available. The best treatment happens to be the same treatment recommended most for teenage acne. Benzoyl peroxide kills acne much better than any other acne medication out there on the market today, including all prescription medications. For this product to be effective an acne sufferer must use enough of the product and use it according to the given instructions. If used correctly and in a large enough amount the acne will start to clear up. This method of treatment is also very simple and is not evasive in any way. Benzoyl peroxide does not have a negative effect on the skin first unlike other prescription acne treatments, meaning you will not see a worsening of the skin before you see the improvement. Skin does not build up a tolerance to this treatment so it will be effective for long-term use. If it works on acne the first time, it will always work.

There may be a genetic component involved meaning acne can run in families. Up to fifty percent of women whose acne continues beyond their teens show evidence of increased androgen levels, with raised testosterone and/or lowered sex hormone binding globulin, a protein found in the blood. Correction of these abnormal hormonal imbalances often improves symptoms, so you need to see to it that your doctor is prepared to measure these hormone levels and help you seek a treatment. Several different treatments are available over the counter to help mild to moderate symptoms and your pharmacist can advise on which product would suit you best.

It is important to realize that adult acne is more common than most think and adult sufferers are not alone, there is a large population of adult acne sufferers. If you are troubled by adult onset acne, first consult your doctor.  He or she may have a hormonal adult acne treatment that can help. If you have adult acne and it is severe or causes you pain do not hesitate to talk to your healthcare provider and discuss possible medical treatment of your acne.