Adult Acne: Why You're Still Breaking Out
People typically associate acne with being a teenager, when those big whiteheads appeared on our foreheads and blackheads took up residence on our noses.
For many people, though, acne isn't some long-forgotten teenage struggle. Plenty of adults deal with acne just as stubborn as teens do, in their 30s, 40s and beyond. Sometimes worse. It's very common, even if it doesn't feel like it it's one of the most frequent concerns patients bring to our Nottingham clinic.
More importantly, adult acne can be manageable with the right approach. If you're someone who struggles with it, it's time to stop ransacking the face wash aisle and start understanding why you're breaking out well into your 30s and 40s, and how to manage it.
What Is Acne?
We might have all seen whiteheads and blackheads, but understanding how acne actually works is key to preventing and treating it.
Acne is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin conditions, and it affects a substantial minority of adults in their late twenties to forties. It's more common in women than men. The term acne includes comedones (whiteheads and blackheads), pustules, papules, nodules and cystic lesions.
Papules are solid bumps under the surface of the skin, usually small and often inflamed. Pustules are slightly bigger and filled with a light-coloured pus. Nodules are the harder, inflamed lumps that occur deep within the skin the result of a pore becoming clogged and infected, and they can lead to scarring. Cysts are painful lumps from deep within the skin that are also filled with pus, but are soft to the touch.
The Differences Between Adult Acne And Teenage Acne
Adult acne and teenage acne may look the same, but they're worlds apart when it comes to their presentation, their causes and their treatments.
Teenage acne is often caused by excess sebum (oil) produced during the hormonal changes around puberty. The sebum mixes with dead skin cells and clogs pores, causing breakouts. These issues are most common in teenage boys and tend to appear in the T-zone, around the nose and forehead.
Acne in adults can be caused by several things. It's often on the lower part of the face and can be much more inflamed and cystic. It tends to linger for longer than teenage acne and is more likely to cause hyperpigmentation and scarring, because our cells renew at a slower rate as we age.
What Triggers Adult Acne?
When it comes to figuring out what's causing your breakout, it isn't always obvious to the untrained eye. A few different factors can trigger adult acne, and usually several are contributing at once.
Hormones
Hormones are one of the biggest contributors to adult acne and part of why it's more common in women than men.
Women often find their acne flares up around their menstrual cycle, when hormone levels are in flux. Women entering the peri-menopause or menopause, or who are pregnant, are also likely to experience hormonal acne. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have more trouble with adult acne than others.
Diet And Nutrition
There is some research suggesting our diets play a part, specifically the glycaemic index (GI) of what we eat. The GI of a food rates how quickly it raises blood sugar compared with pure glucose, and higher-GI foods are thought to be associated with adult acne. It's worth saying that the evidence here is suggestive rather than settled diet is rarely the whole story.
Stress
A significant factor in adult acne is stress. When we're stressed, physically or emotionally, our bodies produce more cortisol. This disrupts hormone balance and can lead to inflammation as well as excess oil production.
Chronic stress can worsen existing breakouts as well as trigger new ones, and may lead to picking or squeezing. That, in turn, worsens the inflammation and can lead to scarring.
How Adult Acne Treatment Differs From Teenage Treatment
Adult acne and teenage acne may be similar conditions, but they come from such different places that treating them with the same approach doesn't work.
Teenage acne treatments often focus on drying the acne out and reducing oil levels. With adult acne, the better approach is to maintain hydration and protect the skin barrier, which gives you more control over breakouts, not less.
This is the mistake I see most often. Patients arrive with a bathroom shelf of products designed for teenage skin foaming washes, high-strength spot treatments, acids layered on acids and skin that is inflamed partly because of the routine. The first thing we usually do is take things away.
To get a real handle on adult acne, it's worth speaking to a medical professional. With the help of our clinical team, it's much easier to understand the root of it, and how to manage it.
Professional Treatments For Adult Acne
Before the treatment list, one honest caveat. If your breakouts track your cycle, or you have irregular periods and unwanted hair growth alongside the acne, no facial treatment is going to be enough on its own. That pattern needs investigating medically first, and I'd rather refer you or work alongside your GP than sell you a course of peels that treats the surface of a hormonal problem.
Equally, if you're mid-flare and your skin barrier is already sore and stripped, we may deliberately do very little at your first appointment. Calming the barrier comes before resurfacing it.
With that said, there are treatments available at our clinic in Nottingham that make a real difference.
Chemical Peels
A chemical peel using proper medical-grade ingredients is a strong option for adult acne. Treatments like theAlumierMD medical-grade chemical peels can help to:
improve skin texture and firmness
soften fine lines
even out skin tone
improve acne and blemish-prone skin
reduce the appearance of pores
This works by applying acids to the skin, lowering the pH. The connections between dead skin cells are loosened and the dead skin peels away, revealing a smoother layer beneath. Removing those cells helps prevent clogged pores, and the peels carry ingredients that clean the skin and empty the pores.
SkinPen Microneedling
When looking to rejuvenate the skin and address acne scarring,SkinPen microneedling is a useful treatment.
First we numb the skin. Then we use fine, sterile needles to create controlled micro-injuries. These trigger a healing response involving increased production of collagen and elastin, which over a course of sessions results in smoother, firmer skin.
Worth being clear: SkinPen treats the scarring acne leaves behind, not the active breakouts themselves. If you have live inflammatory acne, we treat that first. For a realistic picture of the timeline, readhow many SkinPen sessions you'll actually need.
Active Breakouts
If your acne is currently active rather than historic,Forever Clear BBL is usually the better starting point it targets acne-causing bacteria directly.
Medical Support
Alongside in-clinic treatment, there's the option ofmedical-grade skincare: advanced, clinically proven formulas that work on the causes of acne rather than sitting on the surface. These go hand in hand with treatment and are usually what keeps results holding between appointments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Adult Acne
Does Makeup Cause Adult Acne?
It used to be common for people to assume cosmetic products were causing their acne. These days that's unlikely, as most products are tested and formulated to be non-comedogenic, meaning they don't clog pores. That said, how you use them matters sleeping in makeup, or using brushes and sponges that are never washed, will contribute. If you're not sure whether what you're using suits your skin, bring the products to your consultation at our Nottingham clinic and we'll go through them.
Should You Squeeze Whiteheads Or Blackheads?
No. Squeezing, picking or popping any acne lesion makes the inflammation worse, introduces bacteria to the site and significantly increases your risk of scarring. The scarring is the part that's genuinely difficult and expensive to undo, which is why we're so firm about this. If you have a lesion that feels like it needs dealing with, that's a reason to book in rather than a reason to reach for a mirror.
Do Home Remedies Work On Adult Acne?
Generally they do more harm than good. Apple cider vinegar, toothpaste and lemon juice all damage the skin barrier, which causes irritation, rashes and redness on top of the acne you already have. Adult acne responds to barrier support and consistency, and most home remedies are the opposite of both. If money is the concern, a simple well-formulated cleanser and a daily SPF will do far more than anything from the kitchen cupboard.
How Can I Prevent Adult Acne? ‘
Consistency matters more than any individual product. Whatever your plan retinoids, in-clinic treatments, or both sticking to it is what produces results. It's worth building that plan with someone who can assess your skin, because the wrong routine can be as unhelpful as no routine. Moisturising is important, as it protects the skin barrier. Beyond that, it's the unglamorous things: drinking enough, eating reasonably, managing stress where you can, and sleeping.Book a consultation to get a routine built around your skin.
How Do I Know If My Adult Acne Is Bacterial Or Hormonal?
Honestly, you often can't tell on your own, and this is where a lot of people lose months. Bacterial and hormonal acne need different treatment, and the wrong approach can make things worse rather than simply not working. Adigital skin analysis gives us a much clearer picture of what's happening beneath the surface, and the pattern of where and when you break out tells us a great deal too.
Could It Be Rosacea Rather Than Acne?
It's a more common mix-up than you'd think, and the two need very different treatment. If your redness is widespread rather than concentrated around individual spots, and your skin stings or flushes in wind or after alcohol, it's worth reading our guide to [telling acne and rosacea apart](INTERNAL LINK Post 4 URL) before you treat anything.
Start Treating Your Adult Acne
You don't have to keep guessing at the right treatment.Book a skin consultation at our Mapperley clinic in Nottingham, and we'll work out the best route for your skin.
