Acne All Over Again? How to Deal with and Treat Adult Acne

You probably think acne is only for teenagers and pre-pubescent kids, but quite surprisingly, adult acne is fairly common. It affects more than half of women in their 20s, 30s and 40s and about 25% of adult men. Sometimes, adults suffer from a recurrence - they may have had acne in their teens, recovered without breakouts for many years, only to have acne resurface in their adult years. There are also adults who have clear skin in their younger years and suffer from adult acne later on.

There is no single cause of acne and for many cases, its appearance is something of a mystery, but there are certain factors that contribute to it, such as stress, change in diet, use of cosmetics, vitamin deficiency, development of allergies and hormones.

Dealing with adult acne

Once you understand what adult acne is, you can then find ways to treat it. Depending on the severity, certain cases of adult acne might respond well to over-the-counter medications and home treatments. If it's too severe and painful, a doctor should be involved.

Go easy on your skin.

The most common mistake of adults suffering from acne is touching their skin too much. Adult acne is not caused by bad hygiene and too many washings may even aggravate the condition. Generally, twice-a-day washings with antiseptic soaps are often recommended. And whatever happens, never give in to the temptation of squeezing a pimple. Even with clean hands, there is a threat of infection and forcing the skin might result to unsightly scars.

Adult acne treatments

Adult acne medications can come in the form of anti-acne soaps, facial washes and topical creams. Some of the most popular adult acne treatments are creams and lotions that contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. These are often used for milder forms of adult acne. The medication contained in these creams is capable of preventing further acne development and clear up existing pimples by killing the bacteria present on the skin.