Sometimes women develop acne in adulthood even though they seldom had spots as teens. It can appear overnight but most often develops slowly, as occasional spots get more persistent and frequent. Skin may appear to be greasier but the natural dehydration and fine lines we get with age often mask this on an adult complexion.
Acne is caused by the over production of oil, which then gets trapped beneath the surface of the skin. Hormones are thought to play a major role in changes in oil production, which is why acne most often appears during puberty. Yet women undergo hormonal changes throughout adulthood. Some adults, who suffered from acne during their teens also find that it recurs periodically.
It is Important to Get Help for Symptoms
Acne symptoms are not confined to looking in the mirror and seeing blemishes. The hard, swollen and enflamed spots you get with acne can be extremely painful, especially when they are clustered in a small area. They burn and itch all day, hurt to touch and in many cases throb for hours at a time. Acne like this commonly occurs on the chest, back and face. Each raised bump may take up to two weeks to subside.
Many people don’t seek help for the onslaught of adult acne because complaining about spots can seem a matter of vanity, or just a bit teenage for a mature woman. Yet the medical community recognises that acne symptoms can be physically and psychologically distressing. The National Health Service (NHS) considers early treatment of acne important for these reasons, as well as for its potential to reduce scarring by dealing with severe outbreaks before blemishes become infected or ruptured. Possibly the first step in coping with adult acne is to be assured that it is not vain or indulgent to seek lasting solutions to clearer skin.
Seeking the Right Help
If you get sudden or extreme bouts of acne, ask advice from your doctor as soon as possible. You may be referred to a dermatologist, which means you won’t have to spend a large sum in a private clinic. Severe outbreaks could also reflect underlying hormonal changes that need to be addressed.
When seeking advice from your doctor you should not be put on an immediate regime of strong drugs but suitable treatment options can be discussed, leaving you to decide if there is one you are comfortable with. Solutions can range from topical applications of benzyl peroxide or anti-biotic creams to the oral administration of drugs, such as Roacutain. Side-effects and possible outcomes, with regards to the severity of your own skin condition, are discussed at length before a prescription is written.
Many women with less severe acne, maybe left over from teenage acne or only occurring around the menstrual cycle, seek help from alternative therapies. Herbal or homeopathic remedies may adversely affect prescription medicine, so it is best to buy these from a registered practitioner rather than over the counter. In any case always keep an open dialogue with your doctor or dermatologist. Even if he does not subscribe to these systems of medicine, he will be able to tell you whether the products are suitable to take with prescription medicine.
You can choose to only use alternative therapies for acne. Supporters of this approach highlight alternative medicine’s ability to help chronic conditions. However, if your acne worsens rather than improves, it is important to evaluate your symptoms and at least get advice from your doctor about management of the condition. Complications of untreated acne include infections and scarring. Naturopaths may also make specific diet and lifestyle recommendations to see if a change in habits helps to clear up your skin. This may be worth looking into if you feel that your diet could be healthier or you have a stressful and busy lifestyle.
Beauty Products
As an adult, suffering from acne, adjusting the beauty products you use can help to alleviate symptoms. While this is not an alternative to taking prescribed medicine, you might find that swapping your cosmetics for more suitable ones really helps to lessen the appearance of mild acne. Acne is not caused by bad hygiene but keeping skin clean helps to stop pores getting blocked with dead skin cells and makeup. Basic cleansing and exfoliating removes this debris, along with bacteria that can get trapped in it.
While teens have a vast market of anti-bacterial face washes and anti-acne ranges to choose from, adults with acne may find that using such products leaves their skin stripped and dehydrated. At best, stripping the skin makes lines and wrinkles more pronounced. At worst, it can provoke even more oil production, as well as leaving an uncomfortable dehydrated layer that traps oil underneath.
Swapping your regular products for a simple regime of deep yet gentle cleansing and hydration should help to keep pores clean as well as minimizing the risk of dehydration.
- Oil and balm cleansers melt off makeup without the need for harsh detergents and give the skin a very deep clean without causing dehydration.
- Use a mask exfoliator containing alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or enzymes once or twice a week. These rid the skin of dead skin cells, helping to keep pores clean but contain no grains that could scratch or rupture acne.
- Choose a lightweight hydrating moisturizer. If you are prone to dehydration, use a hydrating gel-cream for comfort.
- Look for non-comedogenic makeup products. These do not contain ingredients known to block pores.
- If blemishes are making you feel self-conscious, cover them with a dry-textured professional camouflage concealer. These have a high pigment content, so cover all types of skin without looking cakey. The overall finish of camouflage is invisible and nothing like those orange, medicated concealer sticks from your teens.
- Many natural skincare brands make products containing prebiotics. These encourage growth of the beneficial bacteria that naturally lives on skin, combating more harmful bacteria.
Shefali Choudhury - Writer and visual artist, Suite Beauty topic editor, Shefali spent 10 years in professional makeup artistry from beauty to blood ...
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