ATC | Your Guide to Acne Treatment and Cure

by: Peter Crump

Acne is the most common skin complaint in the world. And it is not restricted to teenagers. Adult acne is a common but rarely discussed complaint that is thought to affect around 25% of adult men and up to 50% of adult women at some time in their adult lives. And adult acne treatment is often sought although the cause, namely the existence of the acne, is rarely talked about. Adult acne treatment is very common.

As with other types of acne including teenage acne, the exact causes of adult acne remain unknown, but are thought to relate to changes or imbalances in our body’s hormones. It is suspected that these hormonal changes at various times in our lives lead to increases in the amount of oil in our skin which in turn leads to clogged pores or hair follicles in the skin. This results in waste matter building up under the surface of the skin which becomes infected by bacteria and produced the well known spots suffered by adult acne sufferers or acne sufferers in general causing the need for the search for an effective adult acne treatment.

There are a number of times in our lives when our hormones are more likely to get out of balance and these correspond with times of higher likelihood of experiencing acne. The obvious and most well known one is in our teenage years. However it is perfectly possible to suffer adult acne well into the later and even middle aged years necessitating adult acne treatment.

It is thought that adult acne in women is more common because of the reproduction cycles a woman goes through such as menstruation, pregnancy, child birth and menopause. And in some cases hormonal products such as the pill can be used by doctors as a very effective adult acne treatment to produce some hormonal changes which can have positive results on the womans adult acne. In fact this can be the best treatment for adult acne of this nature.

Normally though, adult acne does not result in a total face breakout as teenage acne can do, so can be more easily controlled by some form of masking such as makeup which negates the need for adult acne treatments. There may be spots, but not so likely to be thousands of them.

The only real reason for an adult acne treatment, or any acne treatment at any age, is cosmetic. And so where a cosmetic effect can be achieved by other means the need for a treatment is removed.

There are thought to be external factors which also contribute to adult acne, amongst them are stress, cosmetics and diet. Unfortunately none of these is sufficiently understood either so it is hard to get some hard and fast rules about what not to do and what to do.

One thing that is known though, acne is not caused by eating too much chocolate as was sometimes said to be the case. Cheese is ruled out too.

The remedies for adult acne are the same for other acne. First see your doctor to check it’s normal acne and not something more serious. Next try out some of the very good adult acne treatments on the market which may control your adult acne. These adult acne treatments are, in fact, the same treatments used for our teenagers. Not every product will work for everyone so find the one which works for you and then stick to it.

Keep using it until you body decides it’s time to stop the acne.

A few other suggestions which may work, or may do nothing. Wash your face gently and regularly, but don’t scrub. Keep your diet healthy and follow normal good dietary practices. Keep your hair well washed, especially if it’s oily, and keep it off your face. And avoid makeup or too much makeup.

And try and avoid squeezing them. It’s not established whether squeezing is damaging or not, but avoid it if you can.

So, if you have adult acne and are wondering about what you do about finding a good adult acne treatment, you’re in good company.


About the author:
Find out more about Acne at Peter’s website http://www.acne-all-gone.com/as well as Acne cures and adult acne, acne skin care products, the best acne treatments and more.

by: Charlene J. Nuble

Picture this; the snow-white clear skin that you have been proud of since your teen years has suddenly poofed into a wicked witch's warty face upon reaching the age of 30! "Acne, at my age?" This is often the distressed statement of pockmarked men and women in their 30's to 40's afflicted with adult acne.

This problem is surely not the work of a vengeful sorcerer. Acne vulgaris is what this most common skin disorder in the United States is scientifically called. Statistics has it that 15 million people in US alone are afflicted with acne. It is an embarrassing problem among teenagers. But this condition is not only limited to those awkward years. Adult acne is also prevalent, especially among people in the age group of 25 to 40.

Acne is a disease that resulted from the accumulation of sebum, a highbrow term for oil, underneath the skin. When this happens and the desquamation (human's way of molting) process goes wrong, the pores become clogged. Aggravation will continue and soon infection sets in. A bad bug called Propionibacterium acnes causes this infection. Overproduction of oil and mismanagement of the process of shedding cells equals bunged pores. Clogged pores plus P. acnes, the scoundrel, equals breakout. Those pesky zits are produced just as easy as that.

One of the pushing forces that may cause the occurrence of acne includes the elevation of levels of testosterone among adolescents. No, it's not Toblerone misspelled. No matter how many anecdotes you've heard about chocolate addiction causing zits to dominate your face, there's really no enough scientific basis to prove this. Testosterone is a chemical produced by the body that increase sebum production and change the keratin of the hair follicles. Testosterone is an androgen. Androgen is a hormone produced in high levels among males. This is the reason behind the worse cases of acne among teenage boys more than girls.

Adult acne is called acne rosacea. It is characterized by the following: unsightly thick, red skin on the nose and cheeks, pus-filled blisters, small red bumps, and small red blood vessels seen on the skin surface. It is more commonly linked to increased levels of stress. Isn't it interesting how the body reacts to this stimulus? NOT. When exhausted, like Gizmo getting wet, our skin could actually give birth to little monsters! Though they are not as troublesome as gremlins, they could be just as annoying as well. Seriously, pimples can be difficult to deal with, and can cause depression and anxiety in an adult the same way it can in a teen. Pressure from work and family responsibilities is thought to possibly affect the normal balance of our hormones. And hormones messed up means having to put up with bumpy complexion caused by adult acne.

Aside from stress-triggered hormonal imbalance, hot foods alcohol consumption, and smoking are also considered to exacerbate adult acne. This may help you reconsider your food preferences and habits.

Acne lesions are commonly found on the face, but they can also pop out anytime on the neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, and upper arms and legs. Adult acne is more persistent than teen acne. It is because adults are consistently exposed to the many factors that cause breakouts. Another hitch of adult acne is permanent scarring. It is an evidence of the inevitable reality that with the coming of age, the skin loses its erstwhile ability to repair itself. As if there's a need to be reminded of that when your face starts to wrinkle already. Now here's more to shriek in terror for, especially those in their mid-20's: adult acne causes PREMATURE AGING. Isn't that just nerve-wracking?

Enough of the endless yada's regarding how adult acne could further destroy us. As how master Yoda puts is, educated we must be with the crusade towards clearer AND younger skin. Or at least skin that is just our age we must maintain.

At the first sight of those wicked pimples together with gray hair and wrinkles (talk about aging signs overkill), just like with teenagers, impulse dictates squeezing. But you very well know that squeezing is a big no-no. How old are you? You surely don't need any more marks of time's passage.

In severe cases, consulting a dermatologist would best help in dealing with adult acne. The dermatologist may prescribe an antibiotic, vitamin A derivative like Isotretinoin or other acne drug available. More women may be afflicted with adult acne than men. Pregnancy is another story if you are prescribed anti-acnes, especially Isotretinoin.

Proper skin care may not guarantee a flawless complexion. But a good skin care regimen may aid in warding off bacteria that worsen adult acne. If you love scrubbing for its squeaky-clean feel, think twice. It can render more damage to your already-blemished skin.

Another hint especially for women: use NON-COMEDOGENIC products. Non-comedogenic basically means anything that does not clog skin pores or cause acne. Do your homework and look for as many non-comedogenic versions of the skin care products you use. It's worth it, you'll see.

If stress is linked with adult acne, then, disengaging yourself from stressful activities might work wonders, right? A day away from work or catching up on one of your hobbies won't hurt.

There's this bold Jean Kerr reacting on a classical quotation.

"I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas?"

It doesn't mean the depreciation of a pleasing personality. Such reaction only imparts a message of giving value to what boosts your self-esteem. If it's a clear complexion along with your aging gracefully, so be it. No adult acne should put a shame on your face and get in your way of becoming more confident.

About the Author: Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about acne, please go to: http://acne.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/
Source: www.isnare.com