It’s a familiar yet unpleasant sight — whiteheads and blackheads caused by acne.
It’s the most common skin condition in the United States, and it’s most often associated with teens. This isn’t surprising, as 85% of people aged 12-24 experience some form of acne, but the skin condition can affect you decades after your teens.
A survey of 700 people found that 12% of the women and 3% of the men were still experiencing acne at age 25 and older, and other people get it well into their forties.
If you live near Yuma, Tucson, or Tempe, Arizona, and you’re still dealing with acne as an adult, Peach Skin & Laser offers cutting-edge Lumenis® laser therapy that can help treat and improve your skin.
Let’s find out what’s causing it and what you can do.
What causes acne?
Acne happens when your pores get clogged by excess oil (sebum), dead skin cells, or bacteria. Your skin becomes inflamed and produces the pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, nodules, and lesions that you may see on your face, chest, upper back, or shoulders.
Hormonal changes, which are typical of adolescence, along with certain medications, your diet, and stress, can make acne worse.
Why do some people get acne as an adult?
The same clogged pores and bacteria that are associated with acne in your teens can also cause it as you age. In fact, many of the common factors that lead to acne in adolescence are still typical of causes of adult acne, including:
Hormones
Hormonal changes that happen during menstruation, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and during breastfeeding can cause acne, which increases the risk in women.
Contact irritation
Razors, harsh cleansers, and some skin products can inflame and irritate the skin, causing you to get acne.
Stress
Emotional and physical stress (extreme weather, lack of sleep, illness, dehydration) can trigger biological changes that can make acne worse.
Medications
Some epilepsy and antidepressant medications can cause acne, along with getting off of your birth control medication.
What can you do to treat adult acne?
There are many home remedies and over-the-counter methods for treating adult acne. Some people try aloe vera, green tea extract, tea tree oil, zinc, vitamin A, salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide treatments that you can buy from the store.
But these can all prove to be ineffective in fighting acne.
At Peach Skin & Laser, we use FDA-approved Lumenis® laser therapy to get rid of deep-rooted bacteria that’s clogging your pores. The light beam causes your skin to heal itself by clearing away the bacteria. Just a few treatments can restore your smooth complexion.
Acne affects millions of people, and even adults, but we can help treat it. If you’re tired of dealing with it and want to have clearer skin, make an appointment with Peach Skin & Laser at one of our Arizona locations.