You may have made it out of your teenage years with nary a blemish. Or, you might have been plagued with whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, or even painful cysts.
Whatever your experience was with acne as a teen, though, you could still develop acne as an adult. In fact, up to 35% of women and 12% of men suffer from adult acne. Donald Lee, DO, and his aesthetic team at Biz MedSpa in Fremont, California, can effectively treat your adult acne on their relaxing premises, whether you’re plagued by lesions on your face or body.
But why do you suddenly have acne at an age when you’ve started to worry about wrinkles? Here are a few reasons that could be behind your breakouts.
You’re irritating your skin
Many skin products contain harsh ingredients that don’t do your skin any favors, no matter what benefits they proclaim on their labels. If you’re using heavy, oil-based moisturizers and sunscreens, they could clog your pores (aka follicles), leading to inflammation and acne.
Even products that are meant to cleanse your skin could instead be clogging or irritating it. Whenever you purchase a skin product, including sunscreen, look for words such as “non-comedogenic,” “non-acnegenic,” and “fragrance free.” Also read the labels to be sure the products don’t contain irritating chemicals.
If you’re not sure if a product is good for your skin or not, ask our aesthetic experts. We evaluate your skin and then make recommendations for high-quality, medical-grade skin care products.
Once you’ve removed irritating products from your life, however, you might still develop acne from other sources of irritation. Friction is a major cause of adult acne. If you play sports that require protective gear, such as helmets, you might develop acne where the gear touches your skin.
Wearing a hat to protect yourself from the sun can create acne on your forehead. Even wearing a mask to protect yourself from viruses or dust can lead to a “new” form of adult acne commonly referred to as “maskne.”
You can minimize friction on your skin by protecting it with a good, non-oily moisturizer before you put on your gear. Also, be sure to wash your mask daily and other gear regularly with non-irritating, fragrance-free detergent or soap.
Your hormones are out of balance
Hormonal surges of testosterone are one of the factors that cause teenage acne. Hormonal imbalances often strike women when they’re menstruating, or during changes of life, such as pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause.
Even as an adult, if your body produces excess testosterone, your follicles then produce too much sebum. Sebum is a waxy substance that’s supposed to keep your follicles clear and lubricated.
When you produce too much sebum, dead skin cells within the follicle get trapped, so they can’t shed normally. The sebum and dead skin clog your pores, and provide meals for the bacteria that live on your skin. The bacteria, in turn, produce inflammation that triggers acne.
Treating acne feels like a treat
Although you may hate your acne, getting effective treatment for it may make you consider your skin condition a blessing in disguise. At Biz MedSpa, our aesthetic team pampers you and your skin as they help you rid yourself of unwanted lesions.
Our acne treatments consist of deep-cleansing facial treatments and chemical peels. We also infuse your skin with zinc, vitamins, and organic acids that reduce excessive hormones.
We end your treatment with a mask that purifies and refreshes your skin, followed by a healing gel. Throughout your acne treatment, you relax comfortably in our spa-like atmosphere and let us do the work of clarifying your skin.
Referenced from “What is Adult Acne?”