Selecting an adult acne treatment is often not as easy as finding the right acne treatment solutions in your younger years. Older sufferers of acne breakouts may have additional skin care needs that weren’t present when they were younger, such as the need to address anti aging concerns as well. Also, adult acne is often driven as much by lifestyle and Cultural Stress® as by hormones. Of course, part of the solution is to understand the facts and myths about adult acne. Here are three important facts about adult acne that can help you find the right treatment solution for your skin care needs.
Fact: Adult Acne Forms Just Like Teenage Acne
While the causes that lead to acne in adults may be different than the causes of acne in teens, the actual acne blemishes are formed in the same way and are due to the same biological processes. Excess skin cells are formed within a hair follicle, and then clog the pore that houses the follicle. Once the pore is clogged, the oil and dirt trapped inside lead to the buildup of acne-causing bacteria. This causes inflammatory acne (visible blemishes) to form on your skin. While it’s true that a small percentage of acne breakouts will be caused by reactions to skin care or makeup products (acne cosmetica), the vast majority of breakouts in all ages result from excess skin cells in hair follicles. Fortunately, because the formation of acne is the same across all ages, the same acne medications are effective. Salicylic Acid, which is the key ingredient in Murad Acne Complex® products, works both to slough away dead skin cells beneath the surface of the skin and to fight acne-causing bacteria.
Fact: Adult Acne Is Typically Hormonal Acne
Whether you’re thirteen or thirty-five, the majority of acne breakouts are still related to hormones. Hormones control the glands that cause the increase in skin cells in hair follicles that leads to clogged pores. As an adult, you may experience hormonal shifts similar to those you experienced as a teenager that can lead to facial acne as well as back and body acne. This is especially true for women, particularly during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and the approach of menopause. However, many of the lifestyle choices we make as adults can also trigger hormonal reactions. Cultural Stress, the overuse of caffeine, anxiety and sleep deprivation have all been linked to stimulation of the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland is responsible for producing androgens, the hormones directly linked to excess skin cell production. The causes of hormonal imbalance may be different from what we experience during puberty or the teenage years; however, the link between hormone activity and acne breakouts remains.
Fact: Adult Acne Treatment Does Not Need to Exclude Anti Aging Skin Care Needs
The signs of aging begin to form beneath and on the surface of your skin as early as the mid-thirties. While you’re treating adult acne breakouts, it’s important to also consider the anti aging skin care needs of your face. Select acne products that are not too harsh, that include antioxidants, Alpha Hydroxy Acids and Beta Hydroxy Acids (AHAs and BHAs), and that also hydrate and moisturize your skin to diminish the appearance of any fine lines and wrinkles that may be forming. Murad’s Anti-Aging Acne Regimen combines acne-fighting ingredients and anti wrinkle ingredients to meet the complex skin care needs of adult acne sufferers.
In some ways, adult acne is very similar to the acne you may have experienced in your teenage years. In other ways, it requires slightly different treatments and approaches. At every age, Murad has effective acne treatments that are perfect for you. Learn more about the Murad acne treatment solutions.
