X
theAsianparent Philippines Logo
theAsianparent Philippines Logo
EnglishFilipino
Product GuideSign in
  • Building a BakuNation
  • Becoming a Parent
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Pregnancy
    • Delivery
    • Losing a Baby
    • Project Sidekicks
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler Years
    • Preschool Age
    • Kids
    • Preteen & Teen
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • News
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Health & Wellness
    • Diseases & Injuries
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Preschool
    • K-12
    • Special Education Needs
  • Lifestyle Section
    • Celebrities
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Home
    • Travel and Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
    • Money
  • Become a VIP
  • COVID-19
  • Press Room
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023

When teenage acne follows you into adulthood - Here's how you fight it!

6 min read
When teenage acne follows you into adulthood - Here's how you fight it!

Adult acne can be irritating in more ways than one. Click here to find out more about this skin condition including its causes and how to treat it.

acne

Adult acne is not just irritating, but can also be damaging to a person’t self-esteem

There are many things in life that seem to be intrinsically teenage-related – puppy love, braces, and acne are just a few of these. While most of these things generally disappear upon adulthood, some of them, like acne, unfortunately linger on.

Acne vulgaris, or acne, is definitely not just for teenagers. Many adults are plagued with this irritating skin condition too and are desperate to be rid of it.

What is acne?

There are small, oil-producing glands just under the surface of the skin. Small pores in the skin allow the sebum (oil), which is needed to keep skin supple and smooth, to emerge.

However, some people naturally produce more sebum than others. There are also certain triggers such as hormonal changes and environmental factors that may cause a person to produce more of it.

Dr. Karen Soh, who is the Medical Director of Privé Clinic in Singapore, says that acne often results from the inflammation of pores that may be clogged by an overproduction of sebum, dead skin cells, and bacterial infection.

dreamstime_xs_49622589 (1)

According to the Health Promotion Board of Singapore (HPB), there are various types of  acne pimples. For example:

  • Comedones: These occur as a result of hair follicles being clogged with sebum, dead skin cells and sometimes bacteria. When comedones are open, they are called blackheads and when they are closed, they are known as whiteheads.
  • Papules and pustules: These are caused by inflammation in the hair follicles and emerge as small, red bumps.
  • Nodules: The build-up of secretions deep within the hair follicles causes these large, painful bumps.
  • Cysts: These are painful, pus-filled lumps beneath the skin and may cause scars.

Click “Continue reading” for the causes behind adult acne.

acne

Some older women may experience acne for the first time in their life due to hormonal fluctuations and the onset of menopause

Causes of adult acne

Dr. Soh explains that in most cases, adult acne is related to hormonal fluctuations and changes particularly among women in their 20s and 30s.

She elaborates that adult acne may also be caused by:

  • Increased sweating and oil build-up caused by hot and humid climate.
  • Increased levels of hormones caused by stress, which in turn over-stimulate the oil glands.
  • Other changes to your hormone levels caused by, for example, menopause or switching or stopping oral contraceptive pills.
  • Some medications, including lithium, anti-seizure drugs and corticosteroids.
  • Stress. In response to stress, your body might produce more of a type of hormone called androgens, which stimulate the oil glands and hair follicles in the skin, sometimes leading to acne.
  • Family history. Some people may have a genetic predisposition for adult acne.
acne

Genetics may be a possible reason for adult acne.

Treating acne the natural way

You only have to Google ‘natural ways of treating acne’ to be bombarded with hundreds of suggestions.

However, medical experts advice that not all alternative or natural acne treatment are effective. More alarming, though, is that some may even be harmful to your health.

However, there are a few natural remedies for acne that health professionals agree to be safe and may be effective for acne treatment. These are:

Manuka honey

With its significant anti-bacterial and wound-healing properties that have been proven by numerous studies, active Manuka honey is an alternative treatment that is supposedly good for getting rid of acne.

If you are affected by adult acne and would like to try this remedy, then applying a thin layer of Manuka honey over the affected area is all that you need to do.

acne

Due its potent antibacterial properties, active Manuka honey is regarded as an effective alternative treatment for acne

Tea Tree Oil

This is an essential oil extracted from the leaves of a tree found in Australia and has long been believed to be a safe and effective alternative treatment for acne.

A study found that 124 acne patients treated with 5% tea tree oil in a water-based gel had a notable reduction in acne lesions over a three-month period.

What’s more, study participants also reported a significantly lower incidence of side effects such as dryness, irritation and burning.

Do keep in mind that tea tree oil should never be taken orally as it can cause a range of toxic reactions. However, topical acne treatments that contain tea tree oil are considered to be safe for adults.

More on the next page…

acne
Partner Stories
Parents, here's what you should do when your child sees you and your spouse fighting
Parents, here's what you should do when your child sees you and your spouse fighting
#SendLoveWithBebeBata
#SendLoveWithBebeBata
13 Must-haves for Your Online Baby Checkout Checklist
13 Must-haves for Your Online Baby Checkout Checklist
This Mommy Welfare Month, Absolute Gives Back The Love to Moms #SelfLoveIsBabyLove
This Mommy Welfare Month, Absolute Gives Back The Love to Moms #SelfLoveIsBabyLove

Washing your face not more than twice a day with a gentle cleanser can help prevent acne outbreaks

Fruit acids

Topical ointments containing fruit acids such as citric, gluconic, gluconolactone, glycolic malic and tartaric are suggested by health experts as gentle and effective alternative treatments for acne.

Vitex

This is a whole-fruit extract commonly used for treating pre-menstrual acne. It is though to act on hormones that stimulate hair follicles, causing them to produce more sebum, which in turn may contribute to acne outbreaks.

However, pregnant and nursing women should avoid taking vitex.

What to do when alternative treatments don’t work

Sometimes acne may be serious or persistent enough to warrant a visit to a dermatologist for treatment and advice.

Dr. Soh recommends topical ointments like retinoids or salicylic acid as effective treatments for acne. Oral prescriptions such as Oratane or antibiotics may be given when needed.

acne

At Privé Clinic, blue light treatment may be recommended in certain cases to kill the bacteria that causes acne

Dr. Soh elaborates that superficial acne can often be successfully treated with mild Chemical Peels or IPL while deeper scars respond better to laser treatment such as CO2.

However, keloidal scars (i.e. scars caused by excessive tissue repair due to trauma or surgical incision) often require injections into the lumpy areas to flatten and soften them.

Preventing acne

There are also many things you can do at home to prevent the incidence and recurrence of acne.

  • Dr. Soh recommends gentle face-washing twice a day. Washing more than twice a day may worsen acne, though.
  • Skin-care products containing retinoic acid (a form of Vitamin A) are the latest breakthrough in acne-treatment products, and may help with treating and preventing acne.
acne

Avoid picking at pimples – this will only make them worse

  • When choosing make-up, look for products with one or more of these labels: “non-comedogenic”, “non-acnegenic”, “oil-free”, “won’t clog pores”.
  • Always remember to cleanse your face thoroughly of all make-up before you go to bed.
  • The HPB recommends taking a shower after exercising or doing vigorous work in order to wash off excess oil and grime from the skin.
  • Medical professionals, including those at the HPB, agree that picking or squeezing pimples should be avoided at all costs. Doing this can only cause further infection and scarring.

While adult acne can certainly be distressing, with a bit of time and patience it certainly can be resolved and hopefully banished for good!

theAsianparent would like to thank Dr. Karen Soh for her contribution to this article. 

Article originally published on: theAsianparent Singapore

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Nalika Unantenne

Become a Contributor

  • Home
  • /
  • Parenting
  • /
  • When teenage acne follows you into adulthood - Here's how you fight it!
Share:
  • What is authoritative parenting? Here's what you need to know about it

    What is authoritative parenting? Here's what you need to know about it

  • Your toddler hit you? Here's how you should respond

    Your toddler hit you? Here's how you should respond

  • Parents Guide: How often should you give your newborn a bath?

    Parents Guide: How often should you give your newborn a bath?

  • What is authoritative parenting? Here's what you need to know about it

    What is authoritative parenting? Here's what you need to know about it

  • Your toddler hit you? Here's how you should respond

    Your toddler hit you? Here's how you should respond

  • Parents Guide: How often should you give your newborn a bath?

    Parents Guide: How often should you give your newborn a bath?

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Baby Names
    • Delivery
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Advice for Parenting Kids
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Lifestyle Section
    • Local celebs
    • Celebrities
    • Money
    • News
  • FAMILY & HOME
    • Couples
    • Weekend & Holiday Guide
    • Health
  • Building a BakuNation
    • More
      • TAP Community
      • Advertise With Us
      • Contact Us
      • Become a Contributor


    • Singapore flag Singapore
    • Thailand flag Thailand
    • Indonesia flag Indonesia
    • Philippines flag Philippines
    • Malaysia flag Malaysia
    • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
    • India flag India
    • Vietnam flag Vietnam
    • Australia flag Australia
    • Japan flag Japan
    • Nigeria flag Nigeria
    • Kenya flag Kenya
    © Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
    About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
    • Tools
    • Articles
    • Feed
    • Poll

    We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

    We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

    theAsianparent heart icon
    Nais naming magpadala ng notification sa'yo tungkol sa latest news at update sa pag-aalaga ng baby at kanilang kalusugan.