Adult acne – everything you wanted to know

Why adults get acne and other questions answered.

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Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : March 25, 2018 7:03 PM IST

Acne is considered a condition that commonly affects teenagers. However, a large number of people above 25 years of age suffer from acne. As it is not expected to occur in adulthood, it creates more apprehension and anxiety. Here Dr Apratim Goel dermatologist and laser surgeon Director, Cutis skin studio, Mumbai explains why adults get acne.

Adult acne is more common in women than in men. 50 percent of women suffer from acne at least once in their adult life. The pattern of adult-onset acne is different from teenage acne. Teenage acne occurs all over face and back with many blackheads, whiteheads, papules and cysts. Adult-onset acne, on the other hand, will occur more often in the lower half of the face, mostly around the chin and will be big, red nodular lesions. Here are 12 things that only people with acne will understand.

There are many factors which can lead to acne in adults, but some of the factors that cause teenage acne remain the same like pores getting clogged by excess sebum (oil) secretion, accumulation of dead skin cells and bacteria.

The other factor that proves the prevalence in women is hormones. Hormonal fluctuations, especially around your period, lead to breakouts. During menstruation, estrogen levels dip and testosterone levels rise. Testosterone can increase the sebum/oil production in the pores leading to clogged pores and big angry pimples. Periods, pregnancies, perimenopause and menopause all stages where hormonal fluctuations are expected, expect adult acne with it. Other hormonal diseases like PCOD, Cushing's syndrome, hyperandrogenism etc cause adult acne. Here are some Ayurvedic tips to prevent acne.

Your dermatologist will often diagnose PCOD by other correlating symptoms like acne, excess facial hair, irregular periods, and with the help of a USG. A hormonal profile test is therefore advised by your doctor. These are the internal causes which your dermatologist and endocrinologist will treat.

The other causes of adult acne are putting on foundations and concealers for too long, excessive cleansing and excessive exfoliation unbalance the skin and lead to breakouts.

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