The cause of adult acne

The possible causes of adult acne

As for many years acne was thought to be a disease that struck only teenagers, until 1980s there was no research concerning the cause of adult acne. The disease attacked adults all the time, but it remained unseen until 20 years ago.

What is the cause of adult acne?

After twenty years of researching the subject, it is clear that the mechanism and ultimate cause of adult acne is the same as its teenage version. It’s the hormonal imbalance.

Too many androgens cause the hyperactivity of the oil glands, which decreases the speed of peeling off the dead skin layer. Then the dead skin cells clog the pores, creating propitious conditions to acne bacteria’s growth. The lack of oxygen along with quick growth of acne bacteria quickly cause inflammation.

The question is:

What can cause this hormonal imbalance?

There are two most common causes of adult acne:

1. Medications: some medications may alter the hormonal balance of the body. This includes anabolic steroids (used for illegal “building up”), a few anti-epileptic medications, the anti-tuberculosis drugs, lithium and most iodine-containing medications. If that’s the case, the acne is over the moment we switch to another, non acne-inducing drugs.

2. Metabolic conditions: any serious change in our hormonal balance may induce acne. This change can be caused by pregnancy, improper diet or genetic problems. If that’s the cause of adult acne, restoring the hormonal balance is a priority. Women are favored there, as they have an option to use low-dosage birth-control pills to reduce the amount of androgens in their bodies. Men need to rely on testing various diets, use anti-acne cosmetics and hope for the best.

3. Stress: it is something purely psychological at first glance, but it can change the hormonal balance just as well as improper diet. It won’t harm anyone in the short-term, but the longer we are under pressure, the more probable that our organism will break down somewhere. Too much adrenalin changes the way our body works, disturbing the hormonal balance.

Whatever the cause we think it is, it is wise to consult your dermatologist as soon as possible, especially that in case of adults not everything that looks like acne is actually acne.

Acne-like problems

1. Acne Mechanica – it’s the kind of acne that isn’t caused by hormonal problems, but because of chronic physical pressure on the skin. Straps on a backpack, if it’s worn too often, may cause acne-like inflammation. While it looks just like real acne, it will vanish when the chronic pressure is over.

2. Folliculitis – it’s the disease that resembles acne a lot. It occurs when the hair follicles become infected inflamed. However its cause is different than those of adult acne and it needs completely different treatment.