I'm 30 and I have Acne - come again?
Just when you thought that being an adult meant being free teenage growing pains, adult acne strikes! You get up, ready to go to work, when it hits you! A very unattractive and attention grabbing pimple making you feel like a confused teenager again.
It doesn't seem right! Just when you've finally crossed all the teenage hurdles you're face to face with an unexpected and unwanted acne breakout. What is an adult to do?
First, take a deep breath and take control of the situation. Seek some professional guidance, but be warned, they'll simply tell you that acne isn't just for teenagers and then they'll charge for the consult. And after you've sought some calm, find the right treatment for your condition.
Acne in adults is seldom heard of because most people keep it to themselves. There seems to be a generalized acceptance of teenage acne and acne scars, however, adult acne seems to be a forbidden topic. So, to no one's surprise, most people believe that acne is strictly related to being a teenager and has nothing to do with being an adult, which makes it difficult for those that are faced with the condition. Be that as it may, the acne that seemed to dominate our teenage years with its horror movie medical name: acne vulgaris; is also apparent in adult acne breakouts.
This condition is not to be confused with acne rosacea - more often called rosacea-. The appearance of one or both types of acne are likely to appear during adulthood.
What do you really know what Acne?
In the eye of the acne breakout is the dreaded pimple. It's a plug of sebum mixed with skin debris and keratin (the stuff nails, hair, and skin are made of) lodged inside a hair duct.
This plug can create one of two results; a whitehead or a blackhead. Whiteheads, unlike blackheads, often cause the walls of the hair duct to rupture leading to redness, infection, and cysts that are common in acne.
During high school, teen boys will be more affected by acne scarring while teen girls will possibly develop a case of adult acne later on in life. So, how do we protect our skin from these culprits?
Wrongly enough, most people believe that acne is a result of poor hygiene. Teen and adult acne are caused by a combination of several biological factors. A few of these factors are hormones that lead to excess oil secretion, faulty closing of the hair duct, and infection.
The Best Possible Acne Solution
A quick solution is popping. It gets immediate results, but it also brings along a fair dose of infection and scarring. A word to the wise, squeezing or picking at pimples spreads acne infection, so you'd do best to avoid it! You are, however, recommended to consult with you dermatologist. A doctor will treat a pimple by using a special sterile instrument to prevent scarring, infection, and acne spread. If these options seem unlikely for your condition then there is one more tried-and-true remedy, an acne home remedy recommended for all skin types.
So, if you're still wondering which treatment for adult acne you should use, keep in mind that the right acne treatment will depend on your needs. The most appropriate cream is an effective acne treatment that can also remove scars and heal damaged skin. However, having to test every product out there can be exhausting and costly. This is why we recommend finding products made with natural ingredients to insure that you get the best product.
Published June 19th, 2009
Filed in Health
