What causes adult acne?

Author: nu-beau
Post date: May 13, 2019

It seems so unfair that you get through all that teenage angst and then “WHAM” you’re fighting acne all over again.

But, like wrinkles and cellulite, adult acne is a perfectly natural phenomenon sent to try us so why not let nu-beau take the strain? With our IPL treatments for acne and congested skin, as well as our Jan Marini glycolic peels, you’ll soon be able to look in the mirror and spot the difference.

What is adult acne?

Acne is caused when your hair follicles are blocked. The sebaceous glands, minuscule holes near the skin surface, are attached to hair follicles. To stop you drying out, these glands lubricate the hair and skin on top with an oily substance called sebum. Too much sebum can mix with dead skin cells and block the hair follicle. When close to the skin’s surface, this blocked follicle bulges out to create a whitehead or stays open to the skin to create a blackhead. Harmless bacteria can then infect the blocked follicles causing pustules and dreaded cystic acne.

“Adult acne can be caused by a number of factors and stimulants including hormones, stress, environment, family history, medication, what you eat and your skincare routine”

The usual suspects

There a number of biological and environmental factors that can encourage the onset of adult acne:

Hormones – Adult acne usually occurs in women (over 80% of cases) and changing hormone levels are thought to be the major culprit. Flare ups before periods, during the first trimester of pregnancy and alongside conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome are common. Painful, deep cystic acne (around the chin, neck and back) is often associated with a fluctuation of hormones.

Stress – Whether it’s your work or home life, stress is a biggy when it comes to adult acne. When you’re stressed your adrenal gland will produce cortisol to help the body cope but testosterone can leak out and overstimulate your sebaceous glands.

Environment – As well as air pollution adding another layer of grime to your face each time you walk out the door (especially in cities like London) overly dry environments (think air conditioning in planes and offices) can dry out your face and promote oilier skin.

Hereditary – Unfortunately, if one or both of your parents suffered from adult acne it’s more likely that you will too.

Medication – While your doctor may prescribe you medication for one condition, the drugs you’re putting into your body can stimulate adult acne. Steroid medications, some ant-depressants and anti-epileptic drugs can result in adult acne as a side-effect. Speak to your doctor about alternative medications but never just stop taking your pills because you think they’re giving you spots.

Consumables – be careful what you eat and drink too. Certain foods may cause you to breakout (this differs from person to person). Drinking plenty of water (instead of stimulants like caffeine and alcohol) can help flush your body of toxins that could contribute to adult acne too. Smokers beware! This is another trigger for adult acne.

Skincare – While most will reach for their cleanser as soon as they have a breakout, cleansing more than twice daily can actually do more harm than good by drying out the skin and encouraging it to produce more oil to compensate. You should go gentle as over exfoliating can also cause an adult acne flare-up.

How can nu-beau help abolish adult acne?

When it comes to adult acne, nu-beau has a choice of first-class treatments to target active acne as well as acne scarring. IPL is your acne saviour for a number of reasons, it:

Is gentle and suitable for all skin types
Tackles both bacteria and redness/inflammation
Diminishes acne scars
Will improve the overall condition and cleanliness of your skin
Promotes a smooth skin texture by stimulating collagen rejuvenation
Is a fast “lunch-time” treatment with no downtime

We offer a fast-track six-week intensive programme for acne. While our range of Jan Marini glycolic skin peels are highly effective in treating acne and congested skin and promoting a more even skin tone – each treatment takes just 30-45 minutes too.

Book your free adult consultation today so Emma and her team can determine the best course of adult acne treatment for you.

SPECIAL OFFER:

Mother's Day Offer. Free £70 Treatment when you book a Geneo+ Superfacial

What causes adult acne?

It seems so unfair that you get through all that teenage angst and then “WHAM” you’re fighting acne all over again.

What is adult acne?

The usual suspects

How can nu-beau help abolish adult acne?

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