Although acne is considered to be a condition usually seen in teenagers and adolescents, acne is also seen commonly in the adult population. People from all walks of life can be affected by this condition and end up with the same troubles, as that of a teenager. It is often seen that a 35 year old business executive finds it more difficult to cope with adult acne, compared to a high schooler.

Studies show that adult acne affects around 25 per cent of adult men and approximately 50 per cent of adult women worldwide. The pathology of adult acne is the same as teenage acne. The blockage of pores by dead cells, sebum and excess oil is the root cause of the formation of pimples.

Causes Of Adult Acne

Research has proven that, the cause of acne is multifactorial, hormonal imbalance being one of the leading causes. Due to this mechanism, acne flares up at puberty. In the exact same way, hormones are seen to rise during pregnancy and menopause. This leads to the breakout of adult acne in women, who have no previous history of acne.

Other less common causes of adult acne include drugs, which have acne causing side effects. People on anti epileptic medications, anti tuberculosis treatment, lithium and other similar drugs often suffer from adult acne. This acne usually gets better after discontinuation of the offending agent.

Chronic physical pressure on the face may also lead to adult acne as seen in violin players and other workers who have to wear a face mask during work hours. This form of acne is termed acne mechanical. In the same way, chloracne is the condition in which acne is caused in workers exposed to chlorinated industrial chemicals at work.

Acne Dysmorphia

Being a common condition, teenagers seem to take their acne lightly, knowing it'll get better with time. Adult acne has a worse affect on the mind of affected individuals. The extreme case is of Acne Dysmorphia, which is a rare, but debilitating disease in which the patient goes into severe anxiety and depression regarding his or her appearance.

Fortunately, adult acne is usually a self limited condition and gets better when the source of irritation to the face is removed or the hormonal imbalance returns to normal. Just like with other types of acne, several over the counter and prescription medications are available which help reduce the number of blemishes and prevent scarring.