Adult vs Teen Acne

Of all the skin afflictions, Acne is the most common and is typically associated with adolescence. Surprisingly, Adult Acne is prevalent in 25% of men and 50% of women at various stages of adult life. Adult seek acne treatment but rarely investigate the underlying cause for their acne. In the past decade Adult Acne has been on the rise; studies indicate that between 40 and 55% of the adult population in the 20-40 age group are diagnosed with a low grade, persistent acne and oily skin. So why is this skin disorder no longer just a teen skin problem?

What is Acne?

Acne is a skin infection caused by bacteria that proliferates on dead skin cells. Excessive sebum secretion traps these bacteria inside pores and eventually causes infection. (short and sweet explanation).

Teen vs Adult Acne

Teen acne is primarily facial and is largely associated with the hormones related to puberty. Adult acne is usually found on the sides of the face, chin and jaw line, extending onto the neck. The primary aggravating factor leading to adult acne is chronic stress. Human body’s response to stress is to activate the adrenal gland which increases testosterone levels. This hormone triggers an increase in oil production and the result to our skin is the appearance of oily shine and clogged pores. So we’ve established we’re stressed, then we get break outs and more stress. Another unfortunate side-effect is the bacteria spreading on the skin when the breakouts are popped, leading to further inflammation, scarring and more eruptions.

Post-Inflammatory Pigmentation
In these times not only are we dealing with more stress, but our skin is aging. With the aging process comes longer healing time- so the break outs can last as long as 5-10 days. There’s also the risk of more scarring as inflammation also accompanies break outs. Our skin sends melanin to the site of inflammation and we’re left with discoloration once the break out has healed.

Topical Nicotinamide (aka Niacinamide or Vitamin B3) has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of papular and postular acne. It surpassed efficacy shown by antibiotics such as Clindamycin. Niacinamide has no side effects unlike antibiotics.

Nicotinamide is reputed to increase the ability of epidermis to retain moisture. Studies have shown that Nicotinamide when applied topically over a period of six days, increased skin smoothness and moisture and reduced skin dryness and fine lines and wrinkles. In lab studies, Niacinamide when applied to mouse skin, led to a 70% reduction in incidence of UV-induced skin cancer. In one clinical investigation, subjects with hyperpigmentation, after a 4 week application of topical niacinamide, computer analysis indicated a marked decrease in hyperpigmentation along with increased skin color lightness.

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