Understanding Adult Acne And Its Causes

You probably had acne breakouts during your teens. Your mother assured you that ¡°its part of growing up and it¡¯ll clear up soon.¡± And you found out that your mother was right. The acne did eventually clear up and you lived happily ever after ¨C acne free, right? Wrong!nnWhat can you do when you¡¯re suffering from adult acne? Fortunately, you are not alone. There are countless of people who are suffering the same fate.nnnAdult AcnennBasically, acne is caused by a malfunctioning sebaceous gland. If your glands produce excessive sebum, you¡¯d suffer from acne regardless of your age. So, adults can still suffer from acne. Because of excessive production of oil, the hair follicle, dirt and bacteria are trapped with the oil or the sebum. This creates an infection which leads to lesions and inflammations.nnnIs This Common?nnAdult acne is fairly common. In fact, more than 50% of adult women experience adult acne at one point in their adult lives. It is less common in male adults. Only about a quarter of male adults suffer from adult acne. Indeed, you can still experience acne when you are at your 20s or 30s and even at your 40s! You still have to cope with acne and all its psychological effect ¨C social embarrassment, insecurity and depression.nnnWhat are the Causes of Adult Acne?nnThere are no exact causes of adult acne. However, the common reason for adult acne is hormonal imbalances. Not surprisingly 1 out of 5 women suffers from this condition because women are more prone to hormone riots. Women tend to have hormonal imbalances when their about to have their menstrual period, or when they¡¯re pregnant, and when they¡¯re going through menopause. Hormonal imbalances may also be triggered by birth control pills or other medications. Other causes of adult acne include:nnSimple recurrence of puberty acne. Your acne may just be your puberty acne resurfacing. The reason for this is not clear for researchers. In fact, the exact reasons are not known but this happens a lot.nnMedications. Acne in adults is also oftentimes triggered by medications. These medications include anti-epileptic drugs, mood stabilizers like lithium, anabolic steroids, anti-tuberculosis drugs and medications containing iodine.nnSkin irritation. Clothing fabric, bags, helmets may cause acne. Frequent irritation may trigger breakouts.nnCosmetics and hair products. Adult women are fond of wearing cosmetics but there are ingredients in some cosmetics that may cause skin irritation. Hair products may also irritate the skin or forehead which also causes acne to form on your forehead.nnUnhealthy lifestyle or diet. Not getting enough sleep and exercise does not help with your skin. If you only spare a couple of hours of sleep daily, you can expect your skin to suffer from adult acne.nnAdult acne can be treated. It is treated the same way you would treat puberty acne. You should consult with your dermatologist for treatment and prescriptions. You can also try OTC drugs or natural remedies and see what works. However, before you seek treatment, you should first determine the causative factor of your acne. nnnn