Adult Acne Treatment Women

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Acne can be frustrating, especially when it does not go away after your teenage years. Believe it or not, acne can continue to affect adults beyond adolescence, or develop for the very first time in adulthood. This may be particularly distressing for adult women, who are more likely to get acne after the age of 20 compared to men.

Adult female acne can look very similar to teenage acne. While adult acne is commonly thought to affect the jawline and chin, it can appear on any part of the face or trunk. Adult women can have clogged pores, inflamed pus-filled bumps, or deep-seated cysts. Unfortunately, treatment options that worked well in the teenage years may not work as well in adult females with acne, due to triggering factors such as hormonal imbalance, stress, and diet.

Mayo Clinic Q And A: Understanding Adult Acne

There are many reasons adult females can get acne. Hormonal disturbances caused by pregnancy, menstrual cycle, menopause, and oral contraceptives can contribute to acne by modifying the production of certain hormones. These hormones stimulate oil production within the skin, promoting the growth of acne-causing bacteria. Stress can increase the production of substances that activate oil glands within the skin of acne patients. Consumption of dairy and high-glycemic foods is also linked to acne. Certain hair or skin products can clog pores and cause comedonal acne (blackheads and whiteheads). A board-certified dermatologist can help determine the appropriate treatment for the type of acne you have.

The extent to which acne causes emotional distress varies, and is not related to the severity of the acne or acne scars. Some women with acne may experience disruption in their personal and professional lives as they fear stigmatization in relationships and employment. Adult females may also be more likely to seek treatment for active acne when acne bumps and scarring persist.

Acne scarring can be disfiguring. Permanent changes in skin texture in the form of pits or raised scars may not be easily concealed with makeup. Raised scars may also lead to skin picking and worsening skin texture and pigment.

Hormonal Acne: What It Is And Why It Happens

Acne can also heal with red or dark spots that may not resolve for weeks to months. The dark spots may persist even longer without proper sun protection, especially on darker skin. Having both acne and dark spots may negatively impact one's quality of life and self-perception.

The emotional toll associated with acne may include an elevated risk of developing depression compared to patients who do not have acne. Clinical studies show that having severe acne can negatively affect quality of life on par with long-term diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, back pain, and asthma. If you have acne, extensive scarring, or dark spots of any severity that are affecting your mental , you may benefit from earlier intervention with oral medications.

Acne is a medical condition, but it only needs to be treated if the acne or marks left behind from it are bothersome to you. Please see a board-certified dermatologist (in person or virtually) for the best available options if you wish to seek treatment.

What Causes Adult Acne & How To Treat It?

Your dermatologist may prescribe a combination of topical (skin) and oral treatments. Some of these medications may not be appropriate if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or carry risks. Ask your dermatologist about hair and skin products that may be irritating, clogging pores, or promoting oil production in the skin, making your acne worse. Also, avoid skin picking to prevent scarring, and try to minimize emotional and physical stressors.

For individuals with dark spots or scarring, consult a board-certified dermatologist to get a personalized treatment geared to your skin concerns. Use a broad-spectrum, tinted sunscreen daily and reapply it every two hours to help prevent acne marks from worsening. If your acne is causing you significant mental distress, ask your doctor about mental resources. Additionally, seeking treatment for your acne may help you feel better. Consider joining online or in-person support groups in your area.

Dr. Neera Nathan is a dermatologist and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. Her clinical and research interests include dermatologic surgery, cosmetic dermatology, and laser medicine. She is part of the… See Full Bio

Adult Acne: Why Am I Breaking Out, And How Do I Treat It?

Dr. Payal Patel is a dermatology research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her clinical and research interests include autoimmune disease and procedural dermatology. She is part of the Cutaneous Biology Research Center, where she investigates medical… See Full Bio

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You're Not Alone In Your Adult Acne: Quick Facts And Treatment

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Causes Of Hormonal Acne As An Adult

Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss...from exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts. PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts.It’s often not taken particularly seriously, but acne affects 20% of women and can cause scarring in a fifth of those. But there are effective ways of treating it

W ant to know the difference between acne and spots? There isn’t one, according to Dr Anjali Mahto of the British Association of Dermatologists. How many spots you have is irrelevant – even a few can really bother people. Those afflicted can become anxious, avoid social events and even stop going to work. “The mistake people make is to think acne is a cosmetic condition, ” says Mahto. So if you think you might have acne, you probably do.

Adult-onset acne starts at around the age of 23 but can occur at any age in people who have never had spots before. Mahto says it affects 20% of women compared with 8% of men. It is a condition largely caused by genetics and hormones and not, as myth would have it, through dirty skin and too many chips. Even after the menopause women can suffer from acne – the male hormone androgen, in excessive amounts, is linked to the condition, but women produce it too, and during the menopause oestrogen levels drop and so the proportion of androgen rises. This causes a build up of dead skin cells and increased oil production, clogging up the hair follicles. Bacteria (

Adult Acne: Why It Occurs And How To Get Rid Of It

) move in and the skin erupts in pustules, nodules (bumps) and cysts. Nodules that are inflamed and push deeper into the skin can be painful for weeks and cause scarring.

If you have painful, persistent spots you should treat them. “People don’t take acne seriously enough, ” says Mahto. “About 20% of people get scarring.” Most people try over-the-counter products such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, niacinamide, tea tree oil and benzoyl peroxide. They work in various ways, such as killing the bacteria and reducing the inflammation and skin cell shedding. If nothing is better in several weeks, you should see your GP. They may prescribe antibiotics such as Lymecycline for three months to reduce the bacteria – the time limit helps prevent antibiotic resistance and your gut flora getting messed up. Antibiotics can be used with creams or lotions such as a retinoid or benzoyl peroxide; both unclog the pores by clearing dead skin cells.

For women who want to combine contraception with an anti-acne treatment, the pill can be very effective, though some are better than others at treating acne; Mahto suggests Yasmin. A dermatologist can offer isotretinoin, which is effective, but causes abnormalities in babies and so any women using it should be on contraception. It is derived from vitamin A and hits every aspect of acne production from reducing oil production and stopping skin cells from blocking the pores to preventing inflammation.We spoke to dermatologists about what causes adult acne and rounded up some acne-fighting products that can help combat it based on their guidance.Johner Images / Getty Images ; Acne Free ; Sephora

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If you're an adult experiencing breakouts, you may have chalked them up to a change in skin care products, dry winter skin or over-exfoliation — because acne is only meant to pop up on teenagers, right? Unfortunately, one survey of