Your Ultimate Guide to Fighting Adult Acne

Find out the causes, treatments and products -- then get your prone to oily skin back on track

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Suffering from adult acne? You are so not alone. Annet King, Director of Training and Development for The International Dermal Institute, says that 54 percent of women over 25 have some acne, and it's most common in women in their 30s. "It's an epidemic in skin care," she says.

So what's causing all this adult acne? In a word: stress. King says that our society is more stressed out than ever before, and all that stress causes our adrenal glands to increase production of androgen hormones, which increase oil production, which causes acne. And when we're under long-term stress (which is common in our busy lives), our hormone levels are constantly raised and acne becomes a near-constant problem. Also, since we're older, our cell-turnover and ability to heal slows down, which means acne can stick around longer than it did when we were teens.

In the next slides, we'll answer all your questions about adult acne, from the differences between teen and adult acne, to the lifestyle and product changes necessary to finally get your adult acne under control. Because let's face it, dealing with acne in your teens is one thing, but no one should have to suffer from acne in their 20s, 30s and 40s, right?

See Next Page: Q: What makes adult acne different?

By Sarah Carrillo

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I know what ingredients to look for now, very helpful.

by freddy420 Monday, November 28, 2011 at 11:54AM Report as inappropriate

I never had a pimple, blemish, etc.. until I was 23 yrs old. Now going on 3 years it has been the toughest battle for me to fight. It has really hurt my Self Confidence and I'm Determined it is NOT going to define ME anymore.. I have found this article very informative and i realize some things as far as my Everyday Lifestyle has to change. Such as Water Intake, Sleep, Stress Reduction, and the answer to fighting Adult Acne doesn't just Lie in a Bottle, Tube, or Miracle Ingredient!! Im going to start applying these often overlooked factors into my daily lifestyle!!

by CoutureCutie Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 10:24AM Report as inappropriate

I hope in a few years that I'll never have to see another pimple again!!!

by Bon_Bon Monday, August 15, 2011 at 02:16AM Report as inappropriate

Okay, I tried a few of the tips listed. I found that intake of water helps, and adjusting my diet. Also, stress is a big factor in the appearence of skin for me.

by MissPurple Monday, August 1, 2011 at 12:12PM Report as inappropriate

Great info. I never had any problems, until I became an adult.

by MissPurple Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 03:54PM Report as inappropriate

Both me and my older brother have issues with adult acne. One time I went to visit him and noticed that the skin on his face looked almost perfect. Baffled, I asked him how he got rid of his acne and he told me about an antibotic his doctor prescribed him that was specifically geared toward killing only the single bacteria species that caused acne. Sounded almost too good to be true, but now I am on it and it has helped me alot, even though I still get some less severe breakouts on occasion (likely due to hormone level changes).

by Superdupper Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 07:41PM Report as inappropriate

I don't have the budget to buy these high dollor products. What would recommend for someone on a very small, tight budget. I get the cysts and I am tired of dealing with them. There is a great deal of information here. Great article.

by valleylily64 Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 04:17PM Report as inappropriate

I wish I didn't NEED this article, but I found so much great information in it. And the tip about wiping down your phones should probably be obvious, but I still never even thought of it. Thank you so much! :)

by bukiyounahito Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 09:42AM Report as inappropriate

good story on adult acne, although i don't agree that people should move to antibiotics or birth control pills. Long-term use of either has its own side effects and can create other health problems. Some people do have really good luck changing their diet and cutting out casein (found in cow's dairy products) and even gluten. If you want to try that, make sure your skin care products don't also contain gluten or dairy!

by lindasparrowe Friday, June 3, 2011 at 11:56AM Report as inappropriate

Didn't realize they had to be treated differently

by modinosaur Sunday, May 8, 2011 at 11:21AM Report as inappropriate

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