Adult Acne – Why Suffer in Shame and Silence?

Acne may be viewed as the curse of the teenager, with skin conditions making life a misery for up to 85% of teenagers at one time or another. What is less commonly known is that it can hit adults just as badly, with half of all adult women affected at some time in their adult life. Men are less frequently condemned to this heartbreak, with only a quarter of all adult men suffering in the same way. It goes to show, however, that leaving adolescence behind is no passport to an acne-free life. Even into their 40s and beyond, men and women can be hit by acne.
The causes of adult acne are less researched and less well known than those of adolescent acne. Stress seems to be a major cause for men, as are hormones. Hormones, too, cause breakouts for women, with the immediate pre-menstrual spell a particular minefield. Although the cliché is perhaps unwelcome, make-up also plays a part. Women should always remove their make-up at the end of the day to prevent pores becoming clogged or blocked. As should men, if they wear make-up.
To nip the problem in the bud it is important to visit your doctor and be prepared to give a lengthy explanation of what is bothering you. A doctor can help you treat the cause and the symptoms at the same time, meaning you will get acne-free and stay acne-free quicker. It wouldn’t hurt to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables in the meantime, of course, but if you must have a short cut there are plenty of chemical solutions around as well.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 at 9:59 pm and is filed under Acne Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Acne Scar Treatment

Acne Scar Treatment, Acne scars develop after severe cases or when the acne has been forcibly picked or scratched. There are many types of acne scars, each entirely treatable.

The only sure method of acne scar treatment is prevention early on. In general, you should never pick or squeeze acne, especially inflammatory acne or “pustules”. Squeezing forces infected material deeper into the skin, causing additional inflammation and possible scarring.

But there are many acne scar treatment options. All acne scar treatments are short procedures – fifteen minutes to an hour – but recovery times vary from fifteen minutes to many months. Scabbing, redness, swelling, flakiness, dryness, bruising and uneven skin tone are common post-treatment effects. Acne scar treatment can cost anywhere from $50 to over $3000. Ask a dermatologist which type of acne scar treatment is right for you.

Dermabrasion works on shallow acne scars. For decades, sandpaper was used to scrape away damaged skin, allowing new skin to grow in its place, but now machines with rotating diamond edged wheels are used.

Laser resurfacing is a newer resurfacing technique, with the same effects as dermabrasion. Penetration depth into the skin is more easily controlled with a laser than with dermabrasion and other methods.

Chemical peels are designed only for the lightest of cases. It involves application of different types of acid to the skin in order to remove the top layer so that a smoother layer can surface.

Punch techniques are used for deep acne scars. Punch replacement or excision involves removing the pitted scar, followed by a skin graft or suture. Punch elevation, on the other hand, just cuts the scar loose and allows it to float up to the level of surrounding skin.

Subcision is a method whereby the scar tissue is broken up underneath the surface of the skin, forming a pool of blood under the scar. The blood clot helps form connective tissue under the scar, leveling it with the surface.

Dermal fillers are used for deeper acne scars. Material - often collagen or fat – is injected under the scar to bring it to surface level. Injections usually last about six months, although research into the longer lasting materials continues to this day.