ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

ADULT ACNE: When Zits Follow Us As We Age

Updated on December 3, 2012
Pinched Cheeks Were A Compliment
Pinched Cheeks Were A Compliment

I remember being 13 years old and receiving so many compliments on my beautiful complexion. “Oh, your skin is so beautiful” or “Your complexion just glows my dear” (followed by my cheeks then being pinched by a neighbor or a dear friend of Grandma’s).

Shorty after those sweet pinches, I got Chickenpox and my skin has never been the same. All three of us, my two younger sisters and I, got Chickenpox within the same week. Our home became an itch festival. Yes, yes, my Mother constantly told us not to pick or scratch. But I was stubborn and have a few (barely) noticeable scars to prove it.

IT ALL HIT AT THE SAME TIME

Wasn’t it enough to go through having Chickenpox that I felt changed my “oh so beautiful complexion?” Of course not. Let’s just throw puberty into the mix and really change that face!

Acne Begins At Puberty
Acne Begins At Puberty

ACNE: WHAT IS IT AND WHAT CAUSES IT

Acne (appropriately called common acne) affects almost all males and females during puberty. Increased hormone activity begins to stimulate the oil glands. Greasy secretions block the hair follicle openings causing blocked pores. Depending on the size of the pore, blackheads and/or whiteheads take form on the face and sometimes neck, upper back, chest and shoulders.

Whiteheads form in the smaller follicles and are usually closed, skin-colored bumps. Blackheads form in the larger follicles and are usually flat spots with centers that become darkened due to a chemical reaction from exposure to air.

Although the cause of acne is said to be complex and somewhat unknown, major factors include overactive oil glands, blocked skin pores, normal skin bacteria activity and inflammation. Common acne affects males and females beginning in their early teens during puberty and usually subsides by the early 20’s.

Nobody's Perfect!

All Grown Up And Still Breaking Out
All Grown Up And Still Breaking Out

BUT SOMETIMES, ACNE FOLLOWS US AS WE AGE . . . ALL GROWN UP & STILL BREAKING OUT

Adult acne is more common than you may think and includes facial acne as well as acne on other parts of the body. Women are more likely than men to suffer from adult acne. An estimated 30% of adult women and 20% of adult men have episodes of adult acne in their later 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and even 50’s. And some people show signs of adult acne throughout their entire lives.

Potential causes include stress, hormones, bacteria, certain medications and make-up. Struggling with adult acne can be difficult and cause social anxiety and depression much like it does in teens.

RETAIN BEAUTIFUL SKIN AS YOU AGE: HELPFUL TREATMENTS FOR ADULT ACNE

Acne medications geared toward teens should not be used by adults because the skin of an adult is usually drier than a teen’s oily skin.

Over-The-Counter Lotions and Cleansers

Adults with acne should avoid abrasive products with granules or beads that will irritate already sensitive skin. Use gentle cleansers such as Cetaphil and Aquanil. Use lotions that contain retinol to clean pores. Retinol also helps reduce fine wrinkles. Use products with benzoyl peroxide to help eliminate bacteria. Products that contain salicylic and glycolic acids will help fade scars caused from acne.

Medications by Prescription

There are antibiotics that are used topically or taken orally that will help eliminate skin bacteria such as tetracycline or clindamycin. Oral contraceptives can help women in balancing their hormones.

Laser and Light Treatments

These types of treatments can be costly. To kill acne-causing bacteria, blue light therapy is used. To assist in eliminating acne scars, laser and pulsed light treatments are found to be helpful.

There are a variety of treatment options available for adult acne. A Dermatologist can help prescribe the proper option for you.

MORE HELPFUL FACTS & TIPS YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF . . .

  • Consider switching to hair and skin products that are noncomedogenic, especially formulated to not clog pores.
  • Products marked “dermatologist tested” can still cause acne.
  • Avoid heavy make-up or skin products when exercising.
  • Rinse off or at least towel dry if you are sweaty.
  • Eating chocolate does not cause acne.
  • Drinking soda does not cause acne.
  • Reduce breakouts by minimizing the number and variety of products that you use.
  • Avoid resting your chin or cheeks on your hands.
  • Acne is not simply a matter of poor hygiene.
  • Picking or squeezing will lead to deeper inflammation and scarring.
  • Wash straps often on helmets and other safety gear to reduce bacteria.
  • Reduce stress.

As with any condition, talk with a healthcare provider if problems persist. Happy Aging!

This is Sharyn's Slant

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

How often do you have breakouts of adult acne?

See results
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)