at the grand age of 31 i thought i would have grown out of acne, it's something most people suffer with in their teenage years whilst they're going through puberty and their hormones are all over the place.
over the last two decades the number of people who are suffering with adult acne has gone up significantly. it's thought that 85% of adult females are suffering from acne. that's including mild acne including whiteheads or blackheads. to more severe cysts that settle deep under the skin and everything in between.
there are many things that can trigger acne as an adult, it's quite common for it persist past our teenage years. most of the time it's from one of the following factors -
hormones is a biggie. excessive oestrogen or testosterone can lead to acne because they create changes in the entire body. this leads to a ph imbalance, inflammation and excess production of sebum. there are many things that can cause hormonal fluctuations such as menstruation and pregnancy. this also includes poly-cystic ovary syndrome which means you can have a higher testosterone levels, again leading to a change in your skin.
contact irritation is something that is becoming more popular due to lots of countries and states having rules around wearing face masks in public places. if something irritates the skin it can lower the skins defences and cause a protective reaction that leads to inflammation. harsh cleansers and using razors on dry skin can also cause this to happen.
stress. another main cause, be that emotional or physical. emotional stress causes changes in the body as your body produces more cortisol and this can lead to an imbalance in the skin. i find my acne can be a lot worse when i stress so my skin gets worse, i then stress about that and it gets even worse. it's a vicious circle that i'm trying to break. then there's physical stress such as lack of sleep, dehydration or extreme weather as well as air pollution. lack of sleep and being ill can cause your immune system to be lowered so if you're not feeling so good, your body is usually trying to fight that off and it makes you more susceptible to getting acne.
clogged pores is usually why spots form, excess sebum (oil) can clog your pores and cause an outbreak. a quick turnover of skin cells can lead to blocked hair follicles, which again results in acne a lot of the time.
bacteria is something that can be present in the skin, this isn't down to poor hygiene. however if it accumulates underneath the skin it can be difficult to reach and get rid of as surface cleansing won't help this. the only thing that can work for this is usually a round of antibiotics but that would be something your doctor or dermatologist can discuss with you if that's the reason it's causing your outbreaks.
certain medications can trigger breakouts. whilst contraceptives are often used to treat adult acne, they can also be the main reason you are suffering. antidepressants can also have acne as one of their more common side effects.
there are numerous ways it can be treated but from personal experience it involves a lot of trial and error. you will often have to trial a formula for a few months as they may take up to 8 weeks to start showing the full results. your skin can get worse before it gets better so you need to make sure you've given it a fair try before moving onto something else.
if you feel you are suffering from adult acne and are struggling to get rid of it, the best thing to do would be speaking to your gp or dermatologist. there's a lot of advice out there on how to get rid of it but as everyone's skin is different what works for one might not work for someone else. this leads back again to the trial and error aspect of things.
i plan on posting further about my journey with acne as it's something that i'm dealing with everyday and a lot of those days can be a struggle. when you grow out of you teen years years you think you put acne behind you but for myself and many others that is not the case.
