South Of Metro | Acne is pretty much the most frustrating thing about going through puberty, but when you are an adult it frustrates you ten times more. Not only do they appear to be more intense, but they are also harder to get rid of. Let’s say some treatments worked great during your teenage years, and now they are all completely useless. And that makes you wonder: why is it different this time?
Keep reading to find out.
So why do adults get acne?
Believe it or not, adults can continue to get them into their 30s, 40s and 50s – some even for the first time. That’s right, you may have dodged the bullet in puberty, but now it’s payback time. Jokes aside, dermatologists call this adult-onset acne and there are more female cases – especially among women who are going through menopause.
We all know that one of the most common reasons for acne is hormone fluctuation. And women are going through this during their periods, pregnancy, menopause and after starting or discontinuing birth control pills.
However, in medicine 2+2 sometimes doesn’t equal 4 due to some unseen variable, so there are of course many other reasons for adult acne and some of them include the following:
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Stress
Well of course, the main suspect for all our medical conditions. During stressful periods our bodies produce more androgens, and these bad boys stimulate oil glands in our skin, which leads to acne.
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Family history
If any of your close blood relatives has acne, it is possible that you may get them at some point in life as well. Like every condition – acne is also something that can be written in your genes.
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Skin care and hair products
Check the labels of your hair and skin care products. If you have acne, every product you use should be marked as: non-comedogenic, oil-free, non-acnegenic and won’t clog pores.
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A side effect of medication
There are some medicines that cause acne such as lithium, anticonvulsants, medications that contain bromides or iodides, as well as corticosteroids, barbiturates and androgenic steroids. If you suspect that your prescribed medicine is triggering your acne – talk to your doctor and ask for a different one. If that is not possible, check how you can control acne with your dermatologist.
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Undiagnosed medical condition
Acne can sometimes be a sign of a medical condition and as soon as this condition is treated they usually disappear.
How to fight adult acne?
Now that we know why we get them, let’s find out how to get rid of them, shall we?
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Medical way
The first one, and the most likely to succeed. Sometimes we just have to leave it to the professionals. A friend of mine got her acne at the age of 37, and after months and months of creams, pills and diets, she visited one popular aesthetic clinic in Dubai and they designed an individual therapy adapted for her specific skin. After all, Dubai has always been known to be a home of some of the best clinics in the world. Long story short, the acne disappeared completely. Aesthetic clinics offer approaches such as medical peelings, deep skin cleanses and special prescription medicines that will definitely help you with your problem.
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Blue light therapy
Blue light rays have the ability to penetrate deeply into your skin follicles and kill the bacteria that causes acne. For severe cases, photodynamic therapy adds Levulan to your blue light therapy. However, this treatment can cause temporary redness and it is quite pricey.
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Aldactone
This medication has long been used for treating high blood pressure, but it is discovered that it can also treat hormonal acne. It blocks androgen receptors which limits testosterone surges that can be the cause of adult pimples.
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Take care of your diet
Refined carbs, for example, can lead to acne. Foods rich in refined carbs are usually made with white flour, sodas and other sweetened beverages, white rice etc., and when consumed they are absorbed quickly which leads to increased insulin levels which further leads to activation of androgen hormones. In other words – ditch them all.
Most important is to stay positive, not stress out and do everything you can – you will find that one thing that will help you, I am 100 percent sure!
If you have some more tips you would like to share, feel free to comment below.
