Understanding Adult Acne: Types, Causes, and Effective Treatments

If there is a curse in the world, it’s definitely the skin menace, Acne! This unpredictable malady manifests itself when least required. Acne knows your social schedule better than you. Hey presto, it will appear when finally you land a date with your crush.

Let’s look at some facts about Adult Acne which will equip us better to banish this bane of our life

What is Acne?

Acne is a common skin condition. Contrary to the common belief that acne attacks you only during adolescence, acne can strike you during adulthood too. This type of acne is called ‘Adult Acne’.

Adult acne happens to be very annoying and frustrating and is found to have a great negative effect on the quality of life.It weighs down your personality and makes you feel self-conscious and embarrassed in the crowd.

So let’s understand a bit more about the adult acne causes and treatments available.

Types of Adult Acne:

Adult acne can be of different types and it is important to be familiar about all these types to identify the right treatment for it.

1. Papule:

Commonly known as a zit or pimple, papule is a diminutive, firm, red bump. Made up of swollen blood cells, papule doesn’t contain obvious pus.

2. Pustule:

A pimple filled with pus, a whitish substance that is a combination of liquid and dead white blood cells, is called pustule. This type of acne usually forms in hair follicles and sweat glands.

3. Nodule:

A nodule is a huge, tender, lumpy, pus-filled pimple that seats deep in the patient’s skin. It is often characterized by inflammation and ends in scarring. A nodule is quite painful and doesn’t respond to any treatment except isotretinoin.

4. Cyst:

Cyst is a sac-like lesion filled with a liquid or semi-liquid substance consisting of dead white blood cells and infectious bacteria. Just like nodule, cyst is also severely inflamed, extremely painful and leave behind scars and blemishes. Both nodule and cyst usually occur together in an extreme kind of breakout called nodulocystic. It is also unresponsive to most topical and oral acne treatments.

Causes of Adult Acne:

When it comes to causes of acne flare up, there is a bunch of contributing factors. Some main contributors to the condition are discussed below:

1. Hormonal Imbalance:

Hormonal imbalance is found to be the most common cause of acne eruption in women. Women’s hormones fluctuate during puberty, periods, pregnancy and menopause.

2. Discontinuing Birth-Control Pills:

Many women also experience acne flare up after they stop the use of birth control pills. The pills might have been regulating the hormones and thus, playing a part in preventing breakouts.

3. Prescribed Medications:

Additionally, acne eruption can also be result of the side effects of certain prescribed medication you might be taking for various conditions.

• These medications include anticonvulsants, corticosteroids, and sobriety drugs.
• It is highly advisable not to discontinue the use of your prescribed medications, but rather consult your physician and ask him to change the medication which will not bring about such issues.
• Moreover, female adult acne can also be brought about by the birth control pills lacking estrogen and just containing progestins.

4. Hereditary:

Adult acne can also be hereditary. In a study, almost 50% adult-acne sufferers were found to have a first-degree relative (parent or a sibling) suffering from the condition.

5. Stress:

Stress is another chief contributor to breakouts in females. Increased stress levels trigger the body to produce more androgen hormones. Androgens stimulate the oil producing glands and hair follicles in the skin. When these glands and follicles are over-activated during stress times, acne eruptions take place.So be happy and see your acne disappear

6. Certain Personal Care Products:

• Some personal care products such as oil-based sunscreens or hair greases prop up a particular type of acne known as ‘acne cosmetica’.
• So, those having oily or acne prone skin should be very careful while picking skin and hair products.
• Opt for the products that read “non-comedogenic” or “non-acnegenic.” These labels indicate that the product is less likely to cause breakouts.

Treatment of Adult Acne:

There is a wide range of anti-acne treatments marketed today that claim to eliminate lesions effectively. You can also find several skincare products devised specifically for acne prone skin in the market. Here is a brief account of some natural and prescribed treatments for adult acne to help you find the right treatment for your particular condition:

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