Adult Acne Treatment - What You Should Take Care Of

Just when you thought you'd finally got through all the skin problems related to puberty, you wake up one day and find acne. If you ask a dermatologist, you will find out acne is not just a problem for teens. Fortunately, there are some treatments that will help you fight adult acne successfully.

Adult Acne Facts

Doctors say adult acne is a common problem, but unfortunately an under-recognized one. Most people think acne it just for kids, but it can happen in later years too. It is more common in women than in men. Statistics show that acne affects about 25% of all adult men and 50% of all adult women at some point during their adult life.

At the bottom of acne lies the pimple, which doctors call comedo. A pimple is a plug of fat, skin debris and keratin stuck in a hair duct. When it is open, we call it a blackhead and when it's closed over, a whitehead. Whiteheads can cause the walls of the hair duct to rupture, leading to redness, infection and cysts of acne.

Many people think that acne is a result of poor hygiene, but this is not true. Both adult and teen acne are caused by a combination of many factors, such as excess oil production, faulty closing of the hair duct or infection. Washing your face gently only twice a day is actually much better than washing it more often.

Adult Acne Treatment

You can choose between an adult acne treatment in a dermatologist's office or at home. However, squeezing pimples at home often leads to infection and scars. Squeezing pimples is also a very effective way to get your acne to spread. Doctors, on the other hands, use special sterile instruments to prevent infection, scarring and acne spread.

Another solution is to check your local drug store for adult acne treatments. If you've ever tried this, you know it's loaded with such products. With so many options available, choosing the right adult acne treatment can be quite difficult.

A great progress in adult acne treatment has been the producing of the topical retinoid acid, a modified form of vitamin A. Improved versions of this medicine greatly reduce the irritation it can cause. Other acne treatments fight against different causes of acne. They are sometimes used in combination. Such acne treatments include:

* Azelaic acid cream

* Benzoyl peroxide

* Alpha-hydroxy acids (such as lactic acid, glycolic acid and gluconic acid)

* Antibiotic pills (of used unwisely, they can lead to antibiotic resistance)

* Topical antibiotics (gels, lotions and solutions)

* Contraceptive pills for women

* Sotret or Accutane for severe acne

Accutane and Sotret have several side effects, including birth defects. Women with severe acne problems that choose these treatments should use alternative birth control. Despite the side effects they have, these treatments are probably the best choice for sever acne.

Adult Acne - Frustrating Problem With No Easy Answers

What are the reasons that more and more adults are suffering from acne?

That’s probably related to the more varied and volatile hormone changes that accompany the adult physiology and lifestyle. Also, subtle early pre-menopausal changes in estrogen and testosterone may contribute.

Women are subject to more stress than perhaps at any other time in history. There are more concrete demands and more mixed messages demanding personal and professional perfection. The price is often physical and emotional exhaustion and emotional stress. How is it possible for the skin to not respond badly as well?

The final basic “cause” of adult acne is the same, abnormal response of the follicle lining cells to androgens. However, there are many more potential and identifiable causes in women, i.e. hormone medications, menses, pregnancy, personal care, etc.

The following regimen is one which is typically recommended to varying degrees of adult acne:

- Non-comedogenic soaps, cosmetics, etc. Many skin cleansers, make-up, etc. actually leave residues which block pores, and can make acne worse. The products which are used should state that they do not exacerbate acne. Some have recommended a very inexpensive, "natural" topical antibiotic. Placing 1 tsp. of essence of lemon oil (found at supermarkets) in to 4 ounces (120 cc) of liquid soap. This is used for cleansing the skin - essence of lemon has antibacterial properties.

- Topical antibiotics: several antibiotics (esp. tetracycline types, erythromycin, clindamycin, etc..) are prescribed for adult acne twice daily. They usually come in a "roll-on" type bottle.

- Topical Vitamin-A acid (e.g.. Retin-A): cause peeling of the superficial layer of the skin to lessen new comedone formation. Quite effective. Face gets "raw" if use to much. Must use a sunscreen. Takes 4-6 weeks of consistent use to attain benefit.

- Facial cleansing: people with adult acne usually have very clean skin because attention they give to this area.

- UV light therapy: should be done with great care and under the supervision of a dermatologist.

- Oral antibiotics: tetracylines or erythromycin are most commonly given by mouth for moderate to severe acne in adult. More expensive antibiotics are not necessarily any better than plain tetracycline. Tetracyclines work very well, however because they can discolor new bone formation, they are contra-indicated in youth who have not completed their permanent teeth, as well as pregnant and nursing females.

- Isotretinoin (Accutane) is indicated in only the severest adult acne cases. It is highly effective at reducing sebum production, comedone formation, inflammation, etc. However, it can cause severe birth defects if taken while pregnant and runs the risk of toxicity, requiring certain laboratory monitoring prior to and during therapy. It usually needs to be taken for at least 20 weeks. All other adult acne therapy is stopped while on isotretinoin.

In general, it’s not how you wash, what you eat, what you drink, or impure thoughts. The over-the-counter, television, and internet “miracle cures” are too good to be true. REALLY. You need real therapy that can clear your skin.

Acne Treatment Product Information

Recent studies have concluded approximately 90% of all teenagers, 50% of all adult women and 25% of all adults had suffered from acne, either as a chronic skin disease or at some point in their lives. Although there's no universal cure, acne is definitely easier to treat now than it used to be. However, finding the right acne treatment product is still a mystery for many of the sufferers. Despite all the scientific knowledge today, people still think that acne is caused by particular things we do. Actually, it is mostly a combination of factors underneath our skin that lead to acne. The good news that there are acne treatment products that can eliminate it completely in about 95% of all cases. Your skin has many wonderful features that help it recover completely even from serious acne if treated properly: * It is self healing. * It is very elastic. * It registers and remembers sensations very precisely. * It is very resilient. * It is self-cleaning and hardly ever suffers any serious infection. * It lets in some elements and protects you from others. * It holds in the entire amount of liquid that flows through your body. Salicylic Acid There's a lot of evidence that salicylic acid is one of the most effective approach on acne problems. It decreases the number of primary acne lesions, as well as the number and severity of all lesions associated with acne. Salicylic acid is safe to use even on dark skin and gives good and fast results. Glycolic Acid Among popular alpha hydroxyl acids, glycolic acid is one of the most commonly used. It has similar results with a chemical peel. Even when used in strong concentrations, glycolic acid has only few negative side effects. Long-term day to day use may also have a beneficial effect on acne scars. Glycolic acid is also effective in increasing skin resistance to ultraviolet light, improving moisture retention, as well as the general skin condition. However, even though it is quite effective and has only minor side effects, it is better to use as part of a more complex skin care system. Benzoyl Peroxide Benzoyl peroxide is a widely used ingredient in acne treatment products. It used to be very popular in the 1930s, but since then, medical science has come up with new and more effective treatments. However, many dermatologists are still pleading for the benefits of acne treatment products that contain Benzoyl peroxide. In addition to its antibacterial effect, Benzoyl peroxide apparently has an anti-oxidant action as well. Among its most common side effects is dry and irritated skin. Many acne treatment products available on the market today use one of the ingredients mentioned above in combination with other ingredients. Some of the most famous and effective products against acne are ProAcrive, ZENMED Derma Cleanse System, Accutane and Benzoyl Peroxide. However, when purchasing an acne treatment product, you have to look through the side effects thoroughly, as some of them may be worse than your acne itself.

Acne Scar Treatment

Acne scars develop after severe cases or when the acne has been forcibly picked or scratched. There are many types of acne scars, each entirely treatable. The only sure method of acne scar treatment is prevention early on. In general, you should never pick or squeeze acne, especially inflammatory acne or “pustules”. Squeezing forces infected material deeper into the skin, causing additional inflammation and possible scarring. But there are many acne scar treatment options. All acne scar treatments are short procedures – fifteen minutes to an hour – but recovery times vary from fifteen minutes to many months. Scabbing, redness, swelling, flakiness, dryness, bruising and uneven skin tone are common post-treatment effects. Acne scar treatment can cost anywhere from $50 to over $3000. Ask a dermatologist which type of acne scar treatment is right for you. Dermabrasion works on shallow acne scars. For decades, sandpaper was used to scrape away damaged skin, allowing new skin to grow in its place, but now machines with rotating diamond edged wheels are used. Laser resurfacing is a newer resurfacing technique, with the same effects as dermabrasion. Penetration depth into the skin is more easily controlled with a laser than with dermabrasion and other methods. Chemical peels are designed only for the lightest of cases. It involves application of different types of acid to the skin in order to remove the top layer so that a smoother layer can surface. Punch techniques are used for deep acne scars. Punch replacement or excision involves removing the pitted scar, followed by a skin graft or suture. Punch elevation, on the other hand, just cuts the scar loose and allows it to float up to the level of surrounding skin. Subcision is a method whereby the scar tissue is broken up underneath the surface of the skin, forming a pool of blood under the scar. The blood clot helps form connective tissue under the scar, leveling it with the surface. Dermal fillers are used for deeper acne scars. Material - often collagen or fat – is injected under the scar to bring it to surface level. Injections usually last about six months, although research into the longer lasting materials continues to this day.