Acne Tips for Adults
Introduction
Acne, more than any other skin condition, is associated most heavily with young people. To a degree, this makes sense, given that most of us have our breakouts triggered when we’re in the middle of that raging hormonal battle called puberty.
And it does seem to have age-based prevalence in a way that eczema, psoriasis, or other similar conditions don’t.
However, focusing purely on the young teenagers and almost adults who have acne would be missing the point somewhat because there are plenty of fully developed adults who struggle with acne too. Some reports highlight a prevalence of around 3% for men and 6% of women between the ages of 40 and 49.
You’re not alone
Getting acne when you’re older isn’t even close to being unheard of, but that’s not always terribly comforting, particularly when you’re dealing with an outbreak of zits or pimples you may well be too embarrassed to get help for.
That’s why we’ve decided to have a go at breaking the stigma by creating a brief collection of tips you can put into practice as an adult suffering from acne. Let’s dive into it!
1: Understand the different causes of acne
Hormones are obviously a huge predictor of what’s going to happen with your skin when it comes to acne, but they’re by no means the only (or even the strongest) indication of how your skin is going to behave.
As it happens, there are several other factors, all of which are completely out of your control, that could contribute to your skin flaring up when you need it least.
Genetics play a huge part in acne, so if your parents or grandparents had a history of adult acne, you may well expect your skin to behave similarly when you get to be a comparable age.
But that’s not all — environmental factors like the amount of pollution in the air can have an important role in how healthy your pores are able to be, while stress can be known to trigger acne and similar conditions at all ages.
Before you start panicking about your adult acne, it may be a good idea to take a look at your environment and work-life balance to figure out whether something’s out of whack.
2: Not all products were created equal
The skincare industry is absolutely massive. While that’s great for enthusiasts, it can also make it nigh-on impossible to find the product you actually need since there’s such an incredible amount of choice. But using the wrong products to treat your acne can have serious consequences, especially if you’re looking to clear up your skin.
Noncomedogenic skin products (in other words, oil-free or water-based creams and gels) are much less likely to clog your pores than their standard counterparts, making them a far better choice if your skin is on the oily side by nature.
You’ll often be able to find a description of how the product works on the side of the package, so next time you’re doing your grocery store run, make sure to have a good look at what you’re actually buying, as your choice of skincare products may be doing more harm than good.
3: Don’t clean too frequently
A common tactic adopted by people of all ages trying to fight acne is to clean vigorously and regularly in an attempt to keep the pores scrubbed clean and prevent any breakouts from cropping up.
While this makes intuitive sense in theory, in practice it can actually have quite the opposite effect. Overwashing your face can make your acne significantly worse, so you may need to reconsider how you factor hygiene into your daily routine.
Most of us only need to cleanse twice a day with a gentle cleanser, but if you have particularly dry or sensitive skin you might be best off only cleaning once a day. Exfoliating can be a problem too — scrubbing away your dead skin often does help, but doing it too much can damage your skin and exacerbate your acne.
Again, the choice of product is crucial here: stay away from harsh brushes or scrubs and focus instead on gentle chemical exfoliants if you’d like to give your skin the care it deserves.
Conclusion
Adult acne is a pain, but that doesn’t mean there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and the same basic skincare principles apply when it comes to making sure your skin is as healthy as it can get.
Are you an adult struggling with late-onset acne? What are your top tips for dealing with the situation? Let us know in the comments below!
