Although you might think that acne is the preserve of pubescent teenagers, you'd be very much mistaken. Not only can it afflict pretty much anyone, but figures show that 25% of adult males, as well as double that amount of adult females, suffer from this often embarrassing and frustrating affliction.



Despite oil production ramping up during puberty, adults can suffer from it from their twenties all the way to their forties and beyond. The biggest problem with adult acne is that it's usually more likely to lead to social embarrassment or a lack of confidence than teenage acne, and this can be devastating for anyone suffering from it. Thankfully, there are a variety of treatments available.

Whereas the causes of a lot of acne can be defined, adult acne is more difficult. While some people believe that it's down to hormones, other people believe it's genetic. It may even be down to something as simple as the individuals themselves, and show no similar causes on other people.

If it is determined to be caused by your hormones, then you'll need to go and visit either a dermatologist or a health care specialist, who can carry out tests to find out what hormones need to be treated.

The most common cause of acne is blocked pores, the oil that builds up due to this in return causes acne. Some other causes can be what a person eats or drinks, stress, deficiency in vitamins and other reasons. Since adult acne can be caused for a myriad of reasons, proper treatment is important.

Although acne can be found on young children, this is usually less frequent than it is on young adults or beyond. This is because hormones, which young children haven't developed yet, can cause acne. However, this all changes as you get older. Not only will your hormones mature with you, oil production increases in your body, and combined with the extra hormones, can lead to acne.

Some of the most common reasons for hormone increase are pregnancy, puberty and the menopause. Androgens can also cause acne, and these cells are in both males and females. Since androgen increases oil production, this can lead to the pores getting clogged, and again this is where acne comes into effect.

There are many types of treatment available for adult acne, and although they range in strength, they're all effective one way or another.

Funny enough, one of the most recommended treatments is the type given to teenagers, Benzoyl peroxide. This is proven to be the most effective method of medicinal treatment for acne on the market today. However, like anything, for it to work effectively, you need to follow the guidelines for its use to the letter, and see the course through.

Where Benzoyl really shines is that not only is it a non-invasive approach, but your skin won't build up any kind of natural barrier to it, unlike other methods, and for this reason, if you see results the first time you use it, you can be sure that it will be effective against any acne you may get. It's also gentler with your skin, unlike many other harsh treatments available.

If your acne is genetic, and it runs in your family, then this could be down to both androgen and hormonal reasons. It is a proven fact that almost half of all women who have adult acne suffer from it due to higher androgen, and lower than normal binding globulin, which is an important protein in your blood system.

If this is the case, then all that needs correcting is the way that these hormones are balanced. This is achieved by either hormone correcting treatment, which can be arranged by your doctor or specialist, or over-the-counter treatments of the deficiency isn't serious enough to warrant more specialized treatment.

Whatever your adult acne, you're not alone, and it is important to remember it's more common than you might realize, and other people are going through what you are. Because of this, treatments are plentiful and effective.

If you are suffering, speak to your doctor about what's available and what would be best for you. Not only will he or she be able to advise what drugs to use, they can also recommend if you need more specialized treatment or not.