The Causes of Acne in Adults

Acne is one of the most misunderstood and mistreated diseases in the world. While there are certain biological and physiological facts that help explain why acne develops on the skin, there are several causes of acne in adults. In fact, dermatologists struggle to get the message across that in every different person, there may be a similar, yet unique reason for having chronic, frequent or moderate breakouts. Consider a few of the most common adult acne causes.

Hormonal Acne

It is not uncommon for both men and women to experience adult acne due to hormone levels that fluctuate. It is actually more common in women, and studies have proven that 1 in 5 women between the ages of 18-35 suffer from some form, whether mild or severe, of adult acne.

Many women experience breakouts just before menstruation, as the estrogen levels drop, and progesterone levels increase. Similar breakout tendencies occur in many women during pregnancy. It is not uncommon, and these types of acne are easily treatable with topical medications, or a combination of treatments prescribed by a physician.

Similar causes may occur near menopause, or at any point in which hormonal levels may be dictated by disease, disorder or illness.

For men, it is not uncommon to see a spike in testosterone in the early twenties. Even after going for several years without severe breakouts, new acne may form. Generally, these adult acne cases in men are easily treated with topical medications or a mild, oral antibiotic.

Stress and Adult Acne

The topic of stress related acne has been one of great debate for many years. Only after digging as deep as possible, it seems that it would only be natural for stress to affect the body in a way that it would make the skin more susceptible to acne. For starters, stress weakens the immune system – the body, and its largest organ, the skin, simply cannot fight off intruders in the form of bacteria, as it might when experiencing optimal health. Stress also stimulates the adrenal glands, triggering the body to produce more hormones.

While stress may only serve as an occasional adult acne cause, reducing the stress in your life will not only help prevent breakouts, but it will improve your overall health. Stress is a biological variable that also robs the body of vitamins and nutrients, and it’s quite amazing how fragile the balance can be for optimal health, including healthy skin and a acne free complexion.

Identifying Your Adult Acne Causes

Adult acne is a completely different problem than what is suffered in most teens, therefore the treatments are not always the same. A topical solution like Proactiv is effective for many sufferers, but some cases may be more effectively treated by a dermatologist. Nearly every skin type may experience occasional or frequent breakouts. Relying on a medical professional will help identify underlying causes of adult acne to help effectively treat the problem at the root.