subject: Adult Acne - How to Fight It [print this page] Adult Acne - How to Fight It Adult Acne - How to Fight It
Although most teenagers get some form of acne, adults in their twenties, thirties, forties, or even older, can develop acne. Men and women alike experience acne, but men get it more severely. Adult acne is caused by sebum, an oily substance produced by the skin's sebaceous glands. Sebum clogs pores, which attract bacteria and become inflamed. For some adults, breakouts are a result of hypersensitivity or overproduction of androgens (male hormones). But an imbalance in both male and female hormones (estrogen) can also cause breakouts. For women, this can happen during pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause.
Acne can be treated in a number of ways. The first port of call is to ensure that skin is kept as clean as possible. Deep cleansers should be used twice daily to remove the build up of dirt and oil. A face scrub should also be used twice a week to help remove the top layer of skin and prevent pores from becoming clogged. The action of cleansing and scrubbing should help to reduce the chance of breakouts.
Acne usually begins with blackheads Blackheads are not dirt, they're actually the result of oil and dead cells getting trapped in a pore where they block the duct and mix with bacteria. They then turn black when exposed to air. Red pimples develop when blackheads become inflamed and they spread when touched with dirty hands. When the pimple becomes infected, it develops a whitehead or pustule. These can break and cause scars.
Treating adult acne is tricky. Most acne medications are geared to teens' oily skin, a bad choice for drier adult skin. Effective treatment often requires a trial-and-error approach that takes time.
Because skin also needs moisture, it is recommended to use oil-free moisturizers that provide hydration without being greasy and further adding to the problem. Many beauty houses offer specialist treatment for acne prone skin by creating preparations which contain some sort of acid to help keep pores clean and remove the buildup of skin cells, dirt and oil. This is one of the best natural acne treatment.
Lifestyle plays a huge role in the prevention of acne. Diet in particular is something that should be paid attention to. Years ago, it was considered a myth that diet affected the skin. It has now been proven that a good diet helps improve the inflammation and spots associated with acne.
To avoid scarring, you should never pick or squeeze acne, especially inflammatory acne or "pustules". Squeezing forces infected material deeper into the skin, causing additional inflammation and possible scarring. Also, avoid scrubbing your skin.
