February 17, 2009

Facts About Adult Acne

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You just turned 30 and one fateful morning, you look in the mirror and you see something on your face, something familiar that you thought you’ve put behind you. As traumatic as it was in your teen years, acne can be as traumatic or even more so as an adult. But not to worry because you are not alone.

Acne is a condition of the sebaceous gland, regardless whether you are a teenager or an adult. These glands produce an oily substance called sebum and are also attached to hair follicles. When the hair follicle gets trapped in with the sebum and dead skin cells, this creates an environment for bacteria to grow which leads to the formation of acne lesions.

Adult acne is not as uncommon as you think. In fact, one in every five women between the age of 25 and 40 suffer from adult acne. When acne resurfaces after several years of retreat, it can be due to one of the following reasons:

1. Simple recurrence. Especially if you have had acne during adolescence.

2. Hormonal imbalance - for example, pregnancy.

One fact about acne is that it usually begins with blackheads. Blackheads are actually not dirt but a pimple that has broken the skin. The exposed part turned black due to the skin pigment and exposure to air. Red pimples are blackheads that have become inflamed. Whiteheads are pimples that have not broken the skin and has been infected, thus the white milky substance.

So, how do you banish blackheads? In one word, Gently. People tend to scrub too hard, which can cause an inflammation. You can also use commercially available peels that strip the blackheads off.

Another fact is that there is no single cause for acne. There are several known factors that can lead to the formation of acne for women. These are: stress, bad cosmetics, hormones and medications. Stress has been known to cause breakouts probably because it can trigger hormonal imbalance or causes your oil glands to overcompensate. Bad cosmetics can lead to bacteria-laden pores. Hormonal imbalance causes the sebaceous gland to overact. Medication can induce acne like birth control pills or medicine containing lithium and iodine.

One common misconception is that food like peanuts, cheese and chocolate can cause a breakout. Well this is not true. Although, eating the right type of food can purportedly help reduce the risk of a breakout, but this is not entirely proven to be true either.

Some acne that occurs during adulthood may be difficult to treat, especially when there are multiple recurrences. It is also important to know that some lesions are not acne at all. It may appear to look like acne but in fact it is a skin condition that only resembles acne called folliculitis. Folliculitis occurs when the hair follicles become infected and inflamed. This requires a different type of treatment than acne.

If you’ve never had acne and this is the first time it has appeared, during adulthood, then it should be examined by a dermatologist to find the underlying cause.