As embarrassing as it can be growing up, acne as adult can be even more embarrassing. Sure it’s no fun being teased by a bunch of adolescences, but how’s it feel walking into a meeting with your boss, the CEO’s office of your biggest client, or a new job interview with a big “zit” right in the middle of your forehead? Better still, what happens when you go to update your social media profile pictures? Not just Facebook, but LinkedIn where all your business contacts reside.
Regardless of age, young or old, acne is a condition that we never outgrow. No matter how old we get, acne still finds its way to embarrass us. Studies estimate that adult acne breakouts affect 20% of men and 30% of women in the 20 – 60 age group; as well as older adults too.
Natural Causes of Adult Acne
Just like in your teen years, adult acne is a condition where the sebaceous glands, that are attached to your hair follicles, produce too much of an oily substance called sebum. The sebum, along with dead skin cells, clog your pores, attract bacteria, become inflamed and “voila” an acne lesion is formed.
Unfortunately for some it’s not just sebum that causes their acne woes. Adult acne breakouts can also occur in individuals that are over sensitive to certain hormones. The overproduction of androgen, a male hormone, and estrogen, a female hormone, can cause adult acne as well.
Not So Natural Causes of Adult Acne
These over production of natural, internal variables like sebum and hormones are not the only causes of adult acne. External factors like foods, chemicals, and pharmaceutical products may also be a cause of adult acne for some individuals.
Foods: long considered a cause of acne by many, there are those that just don’t buy it. However, tell that to folks who eat chocolate or greasy foods and seem to breakout. Maybe there isn’t a ton of scientific evidence to prove the acne diet connection, so the debate will continue. Until it’s resolved, if certain foods seem to make your adult acne breakouts worse, then just try to limit them the best you can.
Chemicals: these things are in just about everything we use on the outside of our body, as well as, ingest into our body. Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate are cleaning detergents; both of which are in most of your common hair care shampoo and conditioning products. These “engine degreasers” leave a nasty film on your skin that can close your pores. Sadly, these are just a few of the thousands of chemicals and fragrances that we come into contact with daily the mess with our skin.
Pharmaceutical: better known as medications, can induce adult acne. Unfortunately as many people grow older their intake of drugs increases, as does their adult acne because a nasty side effect of some drugs is acne. Drugs known to induce acne in adults include anabolic steroids (sometimes used illegally by athletes to “bulk up”), some anti-epileptic medications, the anti-tuberculosis drugs isoniazid and rifampin, lithium and iodine-containing medications. Also, drugs that mess with your hormone levels, such as those used by women during menopause tend to cause acne breakouts as well.
Adult Acne Isn’t the End All
If you never had acne as a kid growing up, then a dermatologist who can investigate the underlying cause should examine acne that appears for the first time in adulthood. Let your dermatologist know if you’ve started any new medications first, since these were probably prescribed for other health reasons. Next work through changes that you have made to your diet recently and then talk about any new products you might be using.
At the end of the day your adult acne is just that, acne. It’s not the end of the world and with treatment and care can be controlled. Don’t let your adult acne embarrass you and keep you locked away.
