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Dealing with
Adult Acne
Just because
you're not in your teens anymore doesn't mean that you can't
get acne. Adult acne afflicts as many as 25% of men and 50%
of women. Even if you never had pimples earlier in life, you
can suddenly find your skin breaking out in your late 20's,
30's and even beyond. To make matters worse, many of the
typical products are less likely to work, as the causes of
adult acne are often different from what teens experience.
To stop adult
acne, you need to understand what causes it
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Most acne is
caused by excess skin oil. This is especially a problem
during puberty, as your body is using the coenzyme-A it
would normally use to metabolize skin oil for producing a
whole bunch of sex hormones instead. Thus, teens get stuck
with oily skin and acne.
But you're an
adult now. You're past puberty. Why are you still breaking
out?
Yes, as you grow
older, your body tends to produce less skin oil. With this
change usually comes a reduction in acne, hence why many
acne sufferers simply "grow out of it". But there's a
problem. Another thing also happens as you age: your body
becomes less efficient at absorbing and processing the
nutrients in foods (as well as supplements).
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The essential
vitamins and minerals that the younger you might have had no
problem getting from your diet are now going to take more
work to absorb and utilize. You've noticed how many elderly
people need to take a whole lot of vitamins in the morning,
right? Well, it's not just the 60+ crowd that should be
increasing their vitamin intake. If you've got adult acne,
your diet probably needs a little help as well.
A healthy diet
and the right supplements are more important than ever
Start by eating
more fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to get a varied and
balanced diet as much as possible. Drink more water to make
sure that those nutrients are able to get where they need to
go. If you're not taking supplements, now is probably a good
time to start. I take both Clear5 and krill oil every day.
This may be
enough to clear your skin, but if it's not, consider adding
a strong multivitamin to the mix as well. If your body is
having a tougher time absorbing vitamins and minerals with
age, the chances are higher that your adult acne is related
to a deficiency in one of those essential nutrients. A
liquid vitamin supplement may be best, as these deliver the
vitamins to your body in their most bioavailable form,
ensuring high absorbance.
Hormonal shifts
can still occur
Despite the fact
that you're out of puberty, you can still experience
hormonal shifts, and these shifts can have the same
oily-skin-inducing effects as when you were a teenager. This
is especially common among women due to their menstrual
cycle. It's not unusual for a woman to have a breakout that
regularly coincides with her period. In these cases, birth
control pills can actually work to lessen acne, but I would
recommend trying oil-fighting supplements first, such as
vitamin B5, vitamin A and zinc.
Also note that
while hormonal shifts are typically less extreme than those during
puberty, the sensitivity of your sebaceous glands
actually increases with age. What this means is that it
takes less of a shift to stimulate your glands into
producing excess skin oil. Besides hormones, your glands
also grow more sensitive to reactions from topically applied
chemicals, which brings us to the next point...
Be cautious with
standard treatments
Especially if
your skin is less oily than it used to be, it's a good idea
to avoid the extra-strong chemicals found in many typical
acne products. Ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and
salicylic acid are more likely to cause damage to your skin
as you grow older. You become more susceptible to dry skin
(along with sun damage), and many of these products targeted
at teenagers will simply be overkill.
Moreover, be
aware that your skin heals faster when you are younger.
That means that you should take extra care to avoid scars,
as well as rashes and swelling. The aftereffects of
blemishes can last longer when you are older, and some
strong treatments can increase the risk of irritation. Try
to keep your treatment regimen as gentle and natural
as possible.
Read the next
article >
3 Smart Tips for Naturally Clear Skin
View all
Acne Tips & Guides
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