Why am I breaking out in my adult years?

Table of Content

• Adult Acne Causes

          1. Hormones
          2. Irritation caused by contact with a foreign object
          3. Stress
          4. Bacteria
          5. Medication

• Adult Acne Treatment

          1. Be Hygienic
          2. Adult acne Skincare
          3. Visit Dermatologist

 

Imagine, you go to sleep having a big day in front of you. You have an important client meeting, a super busy day at work and also an exciting date in the evening. And the next morning you wake up to find a giant pimple has decided to visit you that very day.

Ugghhh! Sounds frustrating right?

Well, unfortunately, it is the story of many of our lives. Adult breakouts are something a lot of men and women struggle with and it can be both frustrating and annoying. Whether you are going for a fancy date or giving an important presentation, adult acne can cause a dent in your confidence.

Adult Acne Causes: Let's take a look at what are the causes of adult acne?

Adult acne is mostly an outcome of inflammation and clogged pores.

But now the million-dollar question is - what’s up with this inflammation and clogged pores?

 Hormones

Ahh! That one culprit that is behind so many changes in our body may also be the cause of adult acne. An excess of the male or female hormones can cause an imbalance in the body which impacts the entire environment of the body and it often leads to excessive production of oil (sebum) and consequently acne.

There are various periods where one can go through hormone imbalance, especially in women. During stages like pregnancy, menstruation, breastfeeding etc, hormone imbalance is pretty common. No wonder many of us break out during our periods. The worst part is hormone imbalance induced acne can be pretty deep and often resemble a cyst.

And guess what? This acne can be quite painful as well! Crossing our fingers against that ugly and painful acne in our 30s that ruins our day.

 Irritation caused by contact with a foreign object

It is one of the common causes of adult acne and in fact acne in general. If your skin comes in contact with something that aggravates it in any way or irritates it, then there’s a good chance that you might end up with acne.

Apart from common irritants like pollution, dirt, there are other things too that can aggravate your skin, which we might ignore otherwise. Harsh cleansers and skin creams, razor burns….the list goes on. So be careful so that you can save yourself from the anguish of having adult acne.

 Stress

Another culprit that is behind so many of our physical and mental ailments. Turns out like many other diseases and disorders like cardiac arrest and insomnia, stress can cause adult acne too. In conditions when we are anxious or scared, our adrenal glands produce more cortisol which is often called the stress hormone. Now an excess of this hormone can cause an imbalance in the skin consequently leading to adult breakouts.

Similarly, physical stress can also trigger adult acne. Sleep deprivation, dehydration all of it may be responsible for your breakouts. So next time you get stressed, take a deep breath and don't let acne win.

 Bacteria

Yep, turns out, bacteria can cause acne too. Bacteria called Propionibacterium can cause acne when it’s present in the skin. It might not happen if it is present in a moderate amount, however, if it starts to accumulate it can cause your skin to break out. The presence of this bacteria isn't necessarily a reflection of bad hygiene. This bacteria may often develop at a deeper level in the skin and cleaning your face at the surface level may not always wash them off. 

 Medication

The side effects of certain medicines can lead to adult acne. Antidepressants, epilepsy medication are some of the medicines which have the potential to cause adult acne. In Fact, certain contraceptive pills can also cause acne in the 30s.

Adult Acne Treatment

Well, now that we have talked enough about what causes adult acne, let us shift our focus to finding the solution to this problem.

So how can we go about adult acne treatment? Let’s take a look

 Be Hygienic

Well, this might sound like a no brainer, but when talking about treating acne, being hygienic can be taken a step further. Apart from maintaining your hygiene, it is important to see that you are sleeping on clean sheets and clean pillowcases. Make it a point to change your sheets, pillowcases, towels or any kind of fabric that comes in contact with your skin regularly. This will prevent any kind of irritation in your skin and hence save you from breaking out.

 Adult acne Skincare

There are a plethora of skincare products in the market that claim to fight acne. Now you must remember that not every ingredient will suit every skin type and neither should you go overboard with your skin regime. It is important to be patient and consistent if you want to see long-lasting results.

Here are some of the ingredients you can look out for that have been proven effective against adult breakouts,

• Salicylic acid
• Glycolic acid
• Lactic acid 
• Polyhydroxy acids (PHAs)
• Benzoyl peroxide 
• Azelaic acid etc. 

 

Now again repeating our prior word of caution. Not every ingredient may suit every skin type. So if your skin reacts to a particular ingredient, it is best to stop that and consult a dermatologist 

 Visit Dermatologist

Following the string of conversations, if nothing seems to work for your skin to get rid of adult acne including adult acne skincare, it is best to see a dermatologist. A dermatologist will be able to analyse your correct skin type and hence recommend suitable products. They also will be able to determine the root cause of your acne and can help you understand if there is a more serious reason behind your breaking out. 

So there you go, your guide on adult acne. But remember: acne is just acne. At the end of the day, your beauty and confidence can not be swayed by these blemishes. So chin up and walk that walk!