Adult Acne Treatments
How To Treat Adult Acne
Acne still plaguing you well out of your teens? Well, you’re not the only one. About one in five women between the ages of 20 and 45 suffer from adult acne. It’s not uncommon for women undergoing hormonal changes (periods, menopause, and pregnancy) to suddenly develop acne. While most adult acne suffers are women, men too are not immune to its effects. So do you have do suffer from bad skin while you wait for your body – and face – to return to normal? Fortunately not. You don’t have to live with adult acne and by taking proactive approach to treating it, you can greatly reduce your acne outbreaks, and finally getting that clear skin. Follow these acne facts to get better skin.
1. Blackheads cause Acne
Believe it or not, blackheads are not dirt trapped in your pores; blackheads are the result of excess oil and dead skin being trapped inside your pores. The substance that forms the blackhead turns black when exposed to air which is why the root of the blackhead is always clear or whitish while the actual black head is black. The bacteria in and around the blackhead can cause an infection which develops into a whitehead or swollen pustule. If the pustule or whitehead breaks, acne scars can form. You should focus on trying to avoid getting blackheads by a thorough face-washing regimen that includes using exfoliating face scrubs several times a week.
2. Multiple Causes for Adult Acne
Stress is the number one reason for adult acne. Your body produces more oil in your skin when you stress. The increased production of oil can lead to outbreaks of acne. This is why it’s not uncommon to see college and high school students having a bout of acne before important tests. Cheap cosmetics can also play a role in causing acne; low quality cosmetics may contain too much oil which blocks pores, leading to blackheads and ultimately an acne outbreak. The cheaper ingredients in bad cosmetics may also irritate your skin and cause inflammation. An imbalance in your hormonal levels can cause sebaceous glands to overproduce oil in your facial pores. Some of the causes could be pregnancy, birth control pills, or menopause.
The key here is removal of excess facial oil; if you keep your face as oil-free as possible, you’ll prevent the formation of blackheads and ultimately, acne. Look for some oil-free, non comedogenic makeup products and moisturizers. You can also opt to use clay masks to help clean out the oil from your pores. Gentle facial scrubs can also be used.
3. See a Facialist
You should see a facial specialist to get regular facials done. Professionals know exactly what your skin needs (sulfur masks to remove impurities, steam cleaning, removing blackheads, etc).
4. Acne Mythbusters
It’s a myth that eating chocolate causes acne. So gorge out on all those yummy chocolates. However, you should be aware that diet can play a big role in controlling acne. There are links between eating trans fatty foods and acne, so keep this in mind before visiting your local KFC.
5. Don’t Treat Adult Acne like Teenage Acne
Products that worked to control your teenage acne may not work on adult skin, which reacts differently to products. There are several over-the-counter products tailored to skin suffering from adult acne. Try cleaners with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acids – proven acne treatments. Exfoliate with benzoyl peroxide-based exfoliants. Several times a week, you can also try some facial peels that are created specifically for adult acne (L’Oreal has several types). Proactive is also another treatment system that people have found great success with. However, results can vary, but give the system a shot. Proactive, while effective, is expensive (around 30 dollars a month). You can try some over-the-counter treatment systems as well (L’Oreal has a full 3-step acne treatments system). Following this basic regimen of acne-fighting products can help reduce your adult acne and clear up your skin.
6. Portable Acne Machine Treaments
There are some gadgets that claim to kill acne. The most famous is probably the Zeno Acne Clearing Device. These devices draw heat through the pimple which kills the bacteria living inside. The machines won’t cure serious skin problems like cystic acne, but for minor acne or individual pimples, they can work wonders.
7. Acne Home Remedies
While not exactly scientifically proven, many people have found home remedies very effective for removing all types of acne (cystic acne, adult acne, etc). The problem with going this route is that you have to navigate through the literally hundreds of acne home remedies. However, home remedies are certainly the cheapest way of treating acne.
8. Visit the Dermatologist
Visit the Dermatologist — you would be surprised at how many people avoid actually seeing the one person who might help! Following the dermatologist’s recommendation could help you wipe that adult acne right off your skin.
There is so much information out there on the web about treating adult acne. However, the tips given here are all proven and offer you some sound advice to treating those unwanted pimples. Perhaps the biggest bit of advice is to never give up trying to get rid of your acne!
