At What Age does Acne Stop

Everyone wants to have smooth and flawless skin, however not many are lucky enough to have it. Acne is one hurdle in the path of getting beautiful skin and the fact that it can happen to people of any skin type, gender, age and ethnicity, makes it a bitter fact of life that shows up on one's face. Also, acne clearing is a time taking process and requires proper caution and prevention too.

Acne is medically called Acne Vulgaris. Vulgaris is a Latin word which means "common", and the word appropriately describes the acne and its "common" occurrence all around the world. Acne is also known as bumps, pimples, lesions, breakouts, zits, whiteheads, blackheads, rashes, clogged pores and red spots.

The impact of acne not only distorts an otherwise smooth texture of the skin, but also leaves behind scars and marks that might stay on the skin for life time even after acne clearing has been done. Acne has played a great role in lowering the self esteem of people - both males and females and hence is definitely a topic of great concern for people of all ages and groups.

Acne mostly occurs on the face, particularly on the T-zone which is the area including forehead, nose and chin. Some body parts like lips never get acne because of the absence of any oil-producing glands there. A popular acne myth is that only teenage years lead to its onset, which is just a myth. Acne can happen to anyone at any age, depending upon various factors, and may require the acne clearing treatment accordingly. It is a skin condition that has nothing to do with age; however it might get aggravated during certain years of life. Many people who never had any form of acne in their teenage years might some day wake up to find their faces full of acne pimples in the age of 30s or 40s too.

People of any race, age or ethnicity can get acne, however it is more common in the adolescents and teenagers within the age range of 12 and 25. Some might suffer from acne problems in their late 40s and 50s as well.

Usually people having oily or combination skin are more susceptible to getting acne, but people with dry and normal skin can also have it. The main reason behind the initiation of acne lies in the increased oil production by the sebaceous glands, followed by improper shedding of the skin cells that line the hair follicles.

Acne basically occurs because of the increase in the androgens (male hormones) that are present in both males and females. These hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands, enlarge them and thereby lead to the production of excess oil, which creates acne. The situation of this hormonal imbalance can occur at various age groups because of various reasons. Acne can be caused because of the reasons like menstruation and pregnancy in females, and in males it may be because of physical activities and certain supplements. Such factors require specific treatments for acne clearing.

Apart from hormonal factors, an individual’s lifestyle also largely stimulates the acne’s lifecycle on one’s skin. Consumption of oily and junk food can aggravate the acne more. Also, cleanliness and personal hygiene play a major role in acne clearing and treatment. Dirt and pollution can block the skin pores thereby leading to painful bumps. Proper cleansing of hands and skin, and removal of dead cells can cut down the chances of acne manifolds.