How to Treat Adult Acne – 3 Acne Contributors
Knowing how to treat adult acne effectively can be confusing. To make it worse, products that work well on teenage skin may not be appropriate for the breakouts that occur in adults. Before you choose a treatment for your acne, it is useful to identify what is contributing to it as it could be linked to clogged skin pores, hormonal changes or stress and diet.
Topical Treatments
Adult acne is caused by a combination of excess sebum (oil), dead skin cells, and bacteria. When the skin produces too much sebum and/or too much sloughing of skin cells, the pores become blocked. Inside the blocked pore, bacteria overgrow causing an immune response which leads to redness and inflammation. If the main cause of your acne is topical, an over-the-counter (OTC) treatment might be how to treat adult acne most effectively. Topical medications that can help to treat adult acne are benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, glycolic acid or Retin-A.
Benzoyl Peroxide is effective because it kills the bacteria and removes dead skin cells that block pores. Salicylic acid works by preventing the pores from getting clogged by slowing down the process of skin cell shedding. Glycolic acid is an exfoliant and helps to break up dead skin cells and remove them from the skin surface. Retin-A is a commonly used prescription medication that contains high amounts of vitamin A that exfoliate the skin surface and unblock pores.
Hormonal Treatments
If you suspect your acne is caused by hormonal fluctuations, your doctor can offer you the best advice on how to treat adult acne. Hormonal acne may be caused by a medical condition, such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Normal times of hormone upheaval like pregnancy, menopause and certain times during a woman´s monthly cycle can also result in sudden outbreaks of adult acne. Prescription treatment options can include oral contraceptives or testosterone blockers, such as spironolactone.
Diet and Lifestyle Changes
If you need further ideas on how to treat adult acne a great place to start is by looking at your diet and lifestyle and making some improvements. It is essential that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals to feed your skin. If you are neglecting your skin´s needs it is likely to resort to attention grabbing techniques like acne. Vitamins A, C and E are very important for skin health and revitalization. Zinc is an important mineral that helps with healing and cell growth and many acne sufferers tend to be deficient in Zinc.
If you are a smoker – quit now, your skin that will thank you for it. Also, make sure you are drinking at least eight glasses of water a day too to flush out your system. If you don´t like plain water add a little lemon or lime, which will also give you a vitamin C boost.
Now that you have some ideas on how to treat adult acne you can begin to take action. Experiment with OTC products to find which one works for your skin, check with your dermatologist about hormonal issues, and spring clean your lifestyle and diet. You will hopefully be on your way to clear, acne-free skin before you know it.
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Tagged with: acne traetments • hormonal acne • how to treat adult acne • smoking • topical • vitamins
My Story
Click Here to read about how I have finally found a simple routine that seems to be keeping my adult acne under control.
