How to Fight Adult Acne (and Win!)

Do you ever look in the mirror and feel like you are a teenager again? You drive a nice car, have a good job and are very successful at life so why do you feel that way? Oh, it's because you're suffering from an ailment that you thought only happened to teenagers: acne.

Adult acne is more common than you think. The causes of adult acne are different than teenage acne, but the steps you need to take to fight it will take you back to the days of Spin-the-Bottle and High School dances.

It's estimated that one out of every three adults, male and female, suffers from adult acne. Adult acne seems to infect both people who suffered from it as a teenager and those who didn't. The causes of adult acne vary from person-to-person, but, it's normally a result of both genetic and environmental factors.

Adult acne due to genetics result from a hormonal imbalance in the body. This hormonal balance throws off the production of sebum, causing it to overproduce. Sebum is vital to skin's chemistry, but too much of it will clog pores and cause breakouts.

On the other hand, the causes of adult acne due to environmental factors can be anything from excess bacteria to diet, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Stress, caffeine, fatty foods, sugar, inactivity, smoking, drug use and sleep-deprivation can bring on acne break outs, too. It's easy to see that anything considered bad for you will not help your acne situation. It will most likely just make it worse.

To reduce or eliminate your breakouts, you must counteract the causes of adult acne by making changes to your lifestyle. The changes that you can make in your life to improve your skin include:

-- Eliminating fatty and sugary foods from your diet. Instead, eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fiber.

-- Reducing the amount of caffeine you drink in a day. Drink water instead. Water is a vital component of healthy skin.

-- Exercising at least three times per week. This will help build a healthy body and naturally purge toxins from your system. It will also provide you with a means of stress-relief.

-- Sleeping at least 8 hours per night, no matter what. Your skin is the first place that shows a lack of sleep.

-- Quitting smoking. Smoking cuts off the oxygen flow to your body, causing toxins to enter and generally making your body work against itself.

-- Taking vitamins at least once a day. This provides you the vitamins and minerals you can't get during your meals.

-- Following a regular skin-care routine that includes cleansing, toning and moisturizing.Figuring out the causes of adult acne is the easy part.

Maintaining the steps necessary to rid yourself of the acne is the hard part. If you stick to a regimen of exercise, healthy food, sleep and skin care, you can expect to see great improvements in the condition of your skin.

Sources

American Academy of Dermatology
US Dept of Health and Human Services - WomensHealth.gov
Mayo Clinic - Dermatology Department