Adult Acne: 5 Things You Need to Know

The horrors of acne do not just disappear after puberty ends. While it is true that breakouts are common in teens and young adults, they can persist in your adult years. 

If you’re still battling acne as an adult, here are few things worth knowing.

1. You can have acne even if you never had it in your teenage years.

Not having acne in your puberty years doesn’t necessarily make you immune to adult acne. While there are those who seem to have clear skin now after battling teen acne, others may only start to get zits in their mid-20s or 30s. Some people, meanwhile, had acne in their teen years and continue to get it later in life. 

In teen breakouts, hormonal fluctuations, which result in overproduction of oil, are the main contributor. In adult acne, hormones can also be a culprit, as well as other factors like polluted environment, stress, certain medications, and slow cell turnover. Certain ingredients in skin care products can also irritate the skin and contribute to acne.

2. Over cleansing and over treating can backfire

Acne is not caused by dirty skin, so it isn’t right to excessively cleanse your face. In fact, washing your face several times daily can only irritate the skin and lead to more breakouts. It is best to gently wash your face with a mild cleanser at least twice a day and after working out. 

When it comes to treating acne, don’t think that slathering topical medications can eliminate your zits sooner. Over using skin care products, especially those with higher concentrations of benzoyl peroxide can dry and irritate the skin. Use the medication as directed to prevent it from working against your favor. 

3. The products you use to manage teen acne may not work for adult breakouts.

While using previous medications to treat adult acne may work for some, this is not always the case. This is because adult skin is more prone to drying out and can be less resilient than teenage skin. The use of harsh medication may work in younger people, but can be irritating for some adult users.

This is why you should never slather or use different acne treatments all at once. If you’re finding it hard to find an OTC medication that works for you, see a dermatologist or aesthetic doctor for product and treatment recommendations. 

4. A stressful life can result in breakouts

Daily responsibilities, including hectic work and schedules, can sometimes take a toll on your health and lead to more stress. This can then prompt the adrenal gland to produce more oil, making your skin susceptible to acne. The occurrence of acne can also cause more stress, and therefore more acne.

A number of other things that can cause hormonal imbalance may also lead to breakout. Being menopause and the use of certain birth control pills can increase oil production and then clog the pores. Women are more susceptible to this type of acne due to hormonal fluctuations that take place as they age.

5. You need to wait for your treatment to work.

It is easy to get frustrated when your acne treatment doesn’t seem to deliver significant changes after a few weeks. Well, this is normal because breakouts take about six to eight weeks or more to disappear. This is why you need to be patient and be consistent with your acne treatment or skin care regimen.

If you, on the other hand, have severe breakouts or cystic acne, see a skin or aesthetic doctor. This is to get proper treatment and minimize the chances of acne scarring. Expert treatment is also recommended if you have been using your acne medication for several months and haven’t seen results.

If you’re finding it hard to control your acne, consulting an expert can help. Here at Cutis Laser Clinics, we have a number of acne treatment options that can improve your skin:

• Cutis Anti-Acne Peel – this can unclog pores and kill acne-causing bacteria; ideal for mild to moderate acne vulgaris on the face, neck, and back.
• VI Peel – this can clear ace conditions, improve the appearance of line and wrinkles, reduce hyperpigmentation, and stimulate collagen production.
• Clarifying facial with Sapphire – this uses the Sapphire Blue Light Therapy to kill acne-acne causing bacteria, minimize pores, and clear inflammation.
• Laser Genesis Skin Therapy – this laser procedure can treat enlarged pores, uneven skin texture, fine lines, and skin redness.

Schedule a consultation

Don’t let adult acne wear you down. Contact Cutis Laser Clinics today and schedule a consultation with one of our aesthetic doctors to determine the right treatment plan for your skin and other concerns.