Why Do I Have Adult Acne and What Can Help?

While you want to hold onto that elastic, wrinkle-free skin you had when you were younger, the same can’t be said for the acne. Yet, in adulthood, you can still struggle with acne on top of the wrinkles.

You remember being plagued by acne when you were in your formative teen years, and it always seemed to rear its ugly head(s) at the most inopportune moments, like right before your prom.

But you said goodbye to your youth and entered adulthood with the hope that your acne would be a thing of the past. Not so fast.

Unfortunately, acne can not only crop up again, it does so regularly. For example, adult acne affects 25% of women and 12% of men in their 40s.

If you feel like a teenager again as you stand in front of the mirror contemplating how to get rid of a zit, we want you to know that we do have solutions for adult acne.

At LaSante Health Center, we offer comprehensive dermatology services, and adult acne is a big reason why patients come to see us.

Why the acne later in life?

The reason acne is so prevalent in adolescence is due to hormones coming online, which can upset the balance of oils in your skin. More specifically, your sebum glands overproduce oils, which can clog hair follicles on your face and lead to acne.

And this brings us to the primary reason adults can, and do, get acne — more hormonal shifts. Adult women are more likely to develop acne because women have more hormone shifts — during menstrual cycles, due to hormonal birth controls, or because of pregnancy.

These shifts can lead to the same issues as when you were younger — clogged hair follicles.

Another reason adults can still get acne is because of stress, and there’s no shortage of that in adulthood. When you’re under stress, your body produces more androgen hormones, which are responsible for your sebum glands and can lead to more oil production.

While hormones and stress are the leading drivers of adult acne, heredity certainly plays a role. If a close family member has adult acne, your risk for the same is higher.

Lastly, we want to mention skin care products. As an adult, you might wear more makeup and it can clog hair follicles.

Solutions for adult acne

The good news is that we offer solutions for acne, adult and otherwise. For starters, we can treat existing acne with some powerful medications that include:

Topical retinol
Salicylic acid
Benzoyl peroxide
Azelaic acid
Antibiotics
Hormone therapies

If you’ve developed severe, inflammatory acne, we can get more aggressive with steroid medications.

We also recommend lifestyle changes, such as washing your face regularly to keep your hair follicles free and clear of oil, dirt, and debris. If you wear makeup, look for products that are non-comedogenic, which means they’re oil-free and shouldn’t clog your pores.

And it’s always a good idea to reduce the stress in your life. Acne is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the effect that stress can have on your health and wellness.

Your first step toward clearer skin is to come see one of our skin care experts. To get started, simply book an appointment online or call us at our Brooklyn, New York, office at 718-246-5700 to schedule a visit.

We serve the Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, Little Caribbean, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens communities.