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Most people associate acne with teenagers. However, acne can affect people of all ages including adults in their thirties and forties. While the pimples that appear on an adult’s face looks identical to the ones on a teenager’s, they appear for different reasons and at different times. This guide will explain the differences between teen acne and adult acne to help you understand how they should be treated.
Before we jump into the differences between teen acne and adult acne, there are a couple of similarities worth noting. The first one is that all pimples form in the same way. They occur when the skin’s hair follicles become blocked with dead skin cells, bacteria, and oil. They can form whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts.
These blockages are almost always related to the over-production of sebum by the sebaceous gland, which is found inside skin follicles. Sebum is designed to moisturize the skin and hair — but too much of it causes skin follicles to become clogged.
Another similarity is that genetics play a role in determining how likely it is that you will have teen acne or adult acne. I know, that’s not good news! However, there are solutions like AcnEase that can help to reduce the severity of acne caused by genetic factors.
Learn how AcnEase is different from other products.
Acne breakouts are often triggered by hormonal activity. That’s because high levels of certain hormones can cause the sebaceous glands to become much more active, producing excessive amounts of sebum. The sebum that is produced clogs up the skin follicles and causes pimples to develop.
The link between hormonal activity and excessive sebum production explains why teenagers usually have acne. Their hormones are fluctuating because they are going through puberty, dramatically increasing sebum production.
There is also a difference between how likely each gender is to experience acne. Teenage boys tend to have more severe acne than teenage girls. That’s because their bodies generate a lot of testosterone during puberty, which is one of the main hormones responsible for acne.
The reverse is true for adults. Women have more acne breakouts than men because their hormones fluctuate during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Women using the birth control pill may also experience more frequent acne episodes because it changes their hormone levels.
Some adults will also develop skin conditions that cause acne-like symptoms later in life. One of the most common of those acne-like skin conditions is rosacea. Although it has similar symptoms to acne, it must be treated differently.
Teenagers and adults tend to experience acne on different parts of the face. Teenagers will usually have breakouts on the forehead, nose and chin. Adults, on the other hand, will often have breakouts on the lower section of the face, including the chin and jaw.
Because teenage acne is triggered by the ongoing process of puberty, it tends to stick around for long periods. A teenager might be battling the same breakout for weeks or months as more pimples appear. Adult acne tends to be more sporadic. An adult might have one or two pimples appear randomly, then experience clear skin for a few weeks. However, if an adult develops a skin condition like rosacea, they will constantly have to manage their acne-like symptoms.
When the underlying causes of adult acne prevail and individuals who left puberty behind still have acne in their mid and late twenties, thirties and beyond we face a problem of chronic acne
Chronic acne need to be addressed very seriously as untreated may lead to acne scars and marks on the face and body.
Many adults find that acne breakouts may be exasperated by additions factors (triggers). For example overly aggressive diet, too strenuous exercise ( increases production of androgens in both women and men – the major culprit in overstimulating sebaceous , stress; as well as lack of sleep and even environmental factors are common to exasperate acne in adults as they further intensify fluctuation of hormones.
Adult and teen are treated similarly with the difference that Adults usually have chronic and severe acne so need a longer treatment and higher dose.
Also adult should specifically retarin from products that can age and dry the skin that is those with benzoyl peroxide. And salicylic acid. In addition those products carry now a FDA warning that they may be cancerogenic especially if combined with UV rays (sun exposure). Adults with acne still should use age preventive treatment but choose them wisely so they do it clog the pores.
Most acne sufferers can benefit from using this approach
Acne is a stubborn problem for both teenagers and adults! To beat it once and for all, you will need to use a comprehensive skin care routine and a systemic treatment like AcnEase. AcnEase is an all-natural supplement that reduces the amount of sebum produced by the skin. It is a proprietary blend of natural ingredients that have been proven to reduce the severity of acne breakouts.