What Causes Adult Acne

What Causes Adult Acne And How To Treat It

Why do we need to know what causes adult acne?

Adult acne needs to be treated differently to teenage acne.

The skin types of adult acne sufferers tends to be a little different. Whereas teenage acne often occurs on oily skin types, those with adult acne often have normal to combination (t zone skin). Sometimes they even have dry and sensitive skin.

And given that many over the counter acne creams are quite drying, this can be disasterous.

An acne adult sufferer is more likely to be concerned about the tendency of benzoyl peroxide to cause pigmentation and increase the effect of aging. In understanding what causes adult acne, we know that older skin has different nutritional needs.

Important vitamins like zinc and linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid, could be lower due to a longer period of poor nutrition. Or stress.

Other common ingredients in teenage acne creams are salicylic and azelaic acid. Whilst these acids are fine for stronger skin types, and are in some home care beauty peels, sensitive skins will find these too strong and irritating. They can also be very dehydrating.

What causes adult acne differs also. For example, acne can occur after taking steroidal drugs. And of course, anabolic steroids have acne as a common side effect.

Whilst some contraceptives are used to treat acne in women, some actually make it worse. Depo-Provera, as well as causing depression in some people, can make acne worse. Other contraceptives that reduce the sex hormone binding globulin also worsen acne. More information here.

There are yet other medications known to make acne worse, which is a concern if you're asking the question of what causes adult acne.

If you are an adult acne sufferer, you may want to find alternatives where possible to these: the class of drugs known as halogens, which includes iodides, bromides, and chlorides. Anti-epileptics like phenobarbital and carbamazepine. Antituberculous drugs, ciclosporin, and antidepressants like lithium. Interestingly, B vitamins can aggravate acne. No vitamins should be taken in excess however.