Adult Acne

Dear Skin Care Expert,

As a teenager I never had any problem with acne, with the exception of a lone pimple here or there. Now as an adult I’m really having problems with acne and I don’t know why. If I didn’t get acne as a teen, why am I now suffering with acne when I’m adult? I thought this only happened to teenagers. 

– Self Conscious in Connecticut

Dear Self Conscious,

Actually, you are not alone – there are many people who suffer with acne while they are adults. While more commonly acne starts out during puberty and leaves once people reach their 20s, there are some cases where acne persists into adulthood or even starts out in adulthood. Some of the forms that occur in adulthood can be quite severe, and some affect the body and the face alike; however, these types of acne are more common in males. Some acne in adult women can be tied to their menstrual cycle. When acne does not show up into adulthood, it usually occurs in women.

There are several reasons that this may happened. First of all, the hormones in a woman can change as she gets older, which can lead to the development of acne. Getting pregnant or developing ovarian cysts can lead to acne in women as well. Some women also end up dealing with acne when they go off their birth control pills, and it is possible to also end up dealing with acne because of the type of makeup you are wearing as well.