Friday, October 28, 2011
Adult Acne Is Treatable
Have you ever looked in the mirror and declared, “I should not have wrinkles and pimples on the same face!” If so, you’re not alone. Acne: it isn’t just for teenagers. In fact, many people are plagued by adult acne into their 30s, 40s, and even 50s.According to a survey done by dermatologists at the University of Alabama-Birmingham:
In their 20s, 50.9% of women and 42.5% of men in their 20s reported experiencing adult acne
In their 30s, 35.2% of women and 20.1% of men reported adult acne
In their 40s, 26.3% of women and 12% of men reported experiencing acne
Even in their 50s, 15.3% of women and 7.3% of men reported experiencing acne
You may have noticed something about those numbers: they’re much higher in women than in men. That is probably because at any age, acne is hormonally related, and the fluctuations of a woman’s cycle can trigger breakouts.
Adult acne differs markedly from the pimples of your teen years, both in how it appears and how it’s treated.
“In teens, you’ll mostly see hundreds or thousands of tiny bumps, blackheads, or whiteheads on the skin of the face, especially the forehead, along with occasional cysts on the chest and back,” says Amy Derick, MD, a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, who practices in Great Barrington, Ill. “That’s because teens’ skin tends to be a little stickier and they’re more likely than adults to get clogged pores.”
In adults, acne is more likely to appear on the lower part of the face, especially around the mouth and jawline. “It’s usually deeper nodules or red papules in those areas,” Derick says. “The fine little bumps of teen acne can still happen in adulthood, but it’s much less common.”
What can adults do about acne?
If you’re troubled by more than the occasional breakout, don’t try to treat yourself at the skin-care aisle of the local pharmacy.
“Most of the over-the-counter products involve salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, which are good for whiteheads and pustules, but not so much for deeper adult acne,” Derick says.
Talk to your doctor about prescription treatments. Your doctor may recommend one treatment, or suggest combining a cream with an oral medication.
Prescription creams containing retinoids (derived from vitamin A) to help unplug follicles.
Gel containing 5% dapsone, which is thought to help fight inflammation involved in acne.
Combination creams that combine the cleansing agent benzoyl peroxide and antibiotics such as clindamycin.
Birth control pills, like Yaz, which can regulate the hormonal fluctuations that spark breakouts.
Oral antibiotics, which act as anti-inflammatories.
A blood pressure medication called spironolactone, which is frequently used off-label to treat acne.
“We usually try to incorporate some type of retinoid into the mix,” Derick says. (Retinoids, like Retin-A, are related chemically to vitamin A.) “They keep the pores clear and the skin exfoliated, and they also help with wrinkles.”
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