Adult Acne: Causes and Treatment
Acne Care for Adults
For many adults, what was thought of as a teenage affliction has continued well into their twenties and thirties. For other adults suffering from acne, the outbreaks did not start until they reached their twenties.
The causes of adult acne vary and can be any one or a combination of the following conditions.
Stress
Until recently, stress related acne was a myth. Researchers are now beginning to understand the correlation between stress and acne. For adult acne sufferers, stress is considered to be the leading cause to post-pubescent breakouts.
When we are exposed to stressful situations, the brain triggers the central nervous system, which in turn sends signals to the rest of the body as part of a primitive fight or flight response. Part of this response is hormonal release from our adrenal glands and fatty secretions from the sebaceous glands, which lay beneath the skin.
Both hormonal imbalance and fatty secretions, which can clog pores, are known contributors to acne outbreaks.
Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal imbalances as a cause of adult acne primarily affect women. Imbalances that occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle or as a result of pregnancy can lead to acne outbreaks.
There are adult males who report that they have monthly acne episodes. While men obviously do not menstruate, it is believed that men may have hormonal cycles similar to women.
Coffee Consumption Adults tend to ingest more coffee than do teens. The caffeine in coffee and tea promotes the production of cortisol, which is also known as the stress hormone. As noted, hormone imbalances are known contributors to adult acne.
Smoking
The chemicals introduced into the body by cigarette smoking limit blood circulation to skin cells, inhibiting the skin’s ability to heal and regenerate. The toxins released in cigarette smoke can clog pores and promote bacterial growth in pores, all of which contributes to adult acne.
Heredity
Recent research has shown that people are more likely to suffer from adult acne if they have a family history of adult acne sufferers.
Environmental Job conditions that expose the skin to high levels of pollutants, irritants, or humidity can lead to an increase in adult acne.
Cosmetics
• Poorly formulated cosmetics that are heavy or greasy can clog skin pores, trapping bacteria, dirt, and oils resulting in adult acne breakouts. Covering acne with makeup can make the condition worse.
Acne is bad enough when it strikes with puberty. But when it continues or strikes again in adulthood, it can be a real nuisance. Acne is a skin condition that usually begins around the time of puberty. More than eighty percent of teenagers and preteens will develop acne to some extent. But it can affect people of every age, gender, and race. It affects both males and females, but boys are more likely to have severe acne and to have acne that continues into adult acne.
The scientific name for the condition is acne vulgaris because acne usually strikes in plainly visible locations such as the face, neck, chest and back. Acne is an age old problem that has likely been plaguing people of all ages for centuries.
What Causes Adult Acne?
Visit http://acne-solution-treatments.info/ for more information.
Acne is an inflammation of the skin that can form in adulthood just as easily as it forms in pubescence. Acne is caused by a number of factors. Contact with an oily substance such as mineral oil, vegetable oil, or petroleum is a common cause of acne, as is the use of certain medications and steroids. However, acne is most often cause by the secretion of androgens. Acne occurs most often to teens and preteens because these androgens are initially secreted at the onset of puberty. But these sex hormones are secreted into adulthood as well and can continue to cause problems with acne. Poor dietary habits and lack of exercise also contribute to adult acne.
Androgens are male sex hormones but they are secreted by females as well. Androgens stimulate the production of oil from the skin's oil glands. Acne occurs when these oil glands become overactive and the exit from the gland is blocked, causing the oil to build up in the gland and swell. A bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes normally colonizes this swollen gland causing the development of inflammation and pus. In particularly severe cases, the glands may burst into the skin and produce cysts.
How Do I Treat Adult Acne?
Over ninety percent of acne patients, both teens and adults, respond to treatment, although the treatment may need to be
continued for months or even years. Here are a few of the most common herbal, homeopathic, and traditional methods that can be used to treat adult acne.
Acne Care for Adults
The causes of adult acne vary and can be any one or a combination of the following conditions.
Stress
Until recently, stress related acne was a myth. Researchers are now beginning to understand the correlation between stress and acne. For adult acne sufferers, stress is considered to be the leading cause to post-pubescent breakouts.
When we are exposed to stressful situations, the brain triggers the central nervous system, which in turn sends signals to the rest of the body as part of a primitive fight or flight response. Part of this response is hormonal release from our adrenal glands and fatty secretions from the sebaceous glands, which lay beneath the skin.
Both hormonal imbalance and fatty secretions, which can clog pores, are known contributors to acne outbreaks.
Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal imbalances as a cause of adult acne primarily affect women. Imbalances that occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle or as a result of pregnancy can lead to acne outbreaks.
There are adult males who report that they have monthly acne episodes. While men obviously do not menstruate, it is believed that men may have hormonal cycles similar to women.
Coffee Consumption Adults tend to ingest more coffee than do teens. The caffeine in coffee and tea promotes the production of cortisol, which is also known as the stress hormone. As noted, hormone imbalances are known contributors to adult acne.
Smoking
The chemicals introduced into the body by cigarette smoking limit blood circulation to skin cells, inhibiting the skin’s ability to heal and regenerate. The toxins released in cigarette smoke can clog pores and promote bacterial growth in pores, all of which contributes to adult acne.
Heredity
Recent research has shown that people are more likely to suffer from adult acne if they have a family history of adult acne sufferers.
Environmental Job conditions that expose the skin to high levels of pollutants, irritants, or humidity can lead to an increase in adult acne.
Cosmetics
• Poorly formulated cosmetics that are heavy or greasy can clog skin pores, trapping bacteria, dirt, and oils resulting in adult acne breakouts. Covering acne with makeup can make the condition worse.
Adult Acne Solved!
Acne has always been a dreaded occurrence in our life. Most of us have carried this burden in our teenage years and after almost seven teenage years we think we are finally home free. Then one morning in your twenty sixth, twenty seventh or even twenty eighth year of your existence you wake up with a huge zit on you face. And even worst, sometimes it is not just one but two or even three or even four! And they just keep on sprouting like weeds in an inhibited garden! So you wonder, I’m already an adult so why, why, WHY?
Adult acne is more common than we thought. Almost five percent of adults have adult acne mostly in their twenties, thirties and even forties and beyond. Adult acne can be found in the face and sometimes even on the neck and on the chest and back area. There are many reasons for the occurrence of these devils incarnates and we will enumerate them here plus ways on how to outsmart them.
Adult Acne Source Number 1: those pesky hormones
And we all thought we are done with having problems caused by them! Apparently, they still have a last attack. Experts still can’t pinpoint the main reason why our oil glands are more prone to breakouts because of hormonal shifts in this age line. Unfortunately, these up and down hormonal shifts are the main culprit in adult acne. But fortunately, there’s an easy cure for these shifts and that is the common birth control pill. But take note that this is not applicable to you if you are pregnant. For stubborn and hard to kill zits, you may also use medication that has the ingredient retinoids that can help unclog those pores. If still doesn’t work then it’s high time to up your ammunition. Use antibiotics (may be topical or even oral) to reduce the swelling.
Adult Acne Source Number 2: stress
Stress is also a major source of adult acne. But we can’t help it, can we? Our world is full of stress inducing situation and things that it is already a part of our daily lives. We have bills to pay, kids to feed and a house to clean. So much stress we endure in a day that it results to the dreaded adult acne. This happens because stress triggers the body to secrete cortisol that results in the secretion of more hormones thus resulting to zits. So what do we do when the bump pops? Relax! Do some de-stressing. Go on a vacation or just spend a day doing nothing. Eat right, sleep right and do your exercise routine regularly. If your darn acne are still there after doing these things for a month or two then it is high time to see your dermatologist for some treatment and prescription.
Adult Acne Source Number 3: Daily Grooming Products
It is a fact that as we grow older we tend to become more vain especially in our twenties to thirties when we are still finding our ideal mate. We tend to use a lot of products to make ourselves more attractive to the opposite sex. Unfortunately, this only results to adult acne as these products tend to block pores which can result to zits erupting like crazy in our pretty little faces. How ironic, isn’t it? We bought and used these products to make ourselves more pretty only to have these little craters embed in our face. So what to do? Simplify! You don’t need all these products to make yourself pretty. Just use basics like moisturizer, cleanser and sun block. Purchase cosmetics that are noncomedogenic and make sure that they are oil free especially your moisturizer. And always remember your acne 101: do not touch your face or rest your pretty little chin in your grubby little hands!
Tags: Acne , adult acne