Acne in adults, as acne in any other age, is a condition of skin lesions primarily caused by excessive oil in the skin which blocks the pores. These pores then become red and inflamed with an excess of oil which cannot escape and these skin lesions can even become infected and very sore. Acne in adults is not as common as acne in adolescence as hormonal changes in puberty result in greasier skin, which exacerbates acne.

Acne in adults can cause these lesions to form all over the skin, but the most commonly affected areas are the face, neck and back. There are three main types of acne in adults: acne that returns after having suffered this in adolescence; acne which occurs for the first time in adulthood, and acne that is periodic, caused usually in women through hormonal changes such as those associated with menstruation or pregnancy.

Many medications are known to cause acne in adults. These can be anabolic steroids, which are mainly known for their use in the illegal enhancement of athletic performance. Medicines which are used to treat epilepsy and tuberculosis, for example, are well known to cause acne in adults. These medications do not make acne in adults inevitable, of course, but they significantly increase the likelihood of acne in adults. Medicines containing lithium or iodine have been typically blamed for acne in adults.

The good news is that we can debunk some myths. Chocolate is not really thought to be a significant cause of acne in adults. There is also no real scientific link between stress and acne in adults.

Mild acne in adults may not require medical treatment. However, you may want to try to find the cause of it if you can. Severe acne, however, may require you to consult a dermatologist. Early treatment of acne in adults may also prevent a further outbreak.

Treatment for acne in adults and teenagers focuses largely on reducing the amount of oil in the skin so that it cannot clog the skin’s pores. Most of the medications are topical and need to be applied to the skin but a few are systemic medications which you take by mouth. The latter are usually only given in the most severe cases of acne in adults; these are prescribed by doctors but topical medications for acne in adults can be purchased over the counter in chemists.

These treatments should also be used in conjunction with a thorough daily cleansing routine with mild products. These products need to be mild so that they do not dry out the natural oils in the skin too much and therefore stimulate and excess of oil production once more, as that would create a vicious cycle of the very conditions which contribute towards acne in adults.