If you thought acne was just for teenagers, think again (or maybe you've discovered this unfortunate fact already, which is why you are here).
Actually, over 50% of women aged 20-39 suffer from acne. For some of us, we had acne as teenagers, and it comes back in adulthood. For others, acne can seemingly show up out of nowhere in our early 20's. So what's the deal? In this blog post, we break down some key information about adult acne and the best ways to manage it.
ABOUT ADULT ACNE IN WOMEN:
Research on acne in adult women has slowly increased in the last 20 years - a simple search of "adult acne women" on PubMed will show you that in 2004, only 10 articles were published. In 2020, 41 articles were published. Now we don't expect you to be experts in reading scientific papers, so allow us to help make sense of it all.
Despite the increased research in adult acne, dermatological (skin) and endocrinological (hormone) researchers remain quite siloed. A dermatological definition of acne is that it is a chronic inflammatory condition. An endocrinological perspective is that acne is a possible indication of hyperandrogegism (excess androgens - think testosterone, PCOS, etc.). The connection between gut health and acne is even newer in the scientific literature, with hits on PubMed for "gut acne" only picking up since 2017.
This leaves us in a strange place as consumers. The body of literature seems to slowly be shifting towards a more holistic lens on acne, but current products available to us seem to be stuck in the 1990's where we attack acne with harsh actives, antibacterials, and skin-stripping products in the hope to clean our 'dirty' skin.
Cultures known for their holistic approach to health and wellbeing seem to suffer less from acne, and in fact there is an association between the spread of western culture and new incidences of acne
ADULT ACNE FACTS:
- Adult acne is more common in women than in men. This is different compared to teenage acne, which is more common in men than in women.
- Acne has 4 main drivers, and each have several lifestyle components that can affect them. This includes changes in sebum quality and quantity, follicular hyperkeratinisation, skin microbiome balance, and inflammation.
- Most acne therapies are considered suppressive, not curative. This is why acne often returns after stopping commonly prescribed medications and topical treatments (i.e. spironolactone, doxycycline, roaccutane, adapalene gel).
- Acne in adult women is different to acne in adolescents. Acne in adult women is generally driven by hormonal fluctuations (i.e. androgens, IGF-1), is inflammatory, occurs on the lower third of the face, and commonly leaves post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and/or scarring behind.
SO WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?
It is always a good idea to see a medical professional to rule out potential medical causes for acne. It is not uncommon for these tests to come back "normal", leaving you more frustrated and confused than ever, but remember it is good news if nothing is medically wrong.
It is important to not get discouraged - for many women with adult acne, learning about the non-medical drivers of it is the start of a journey to connect with themselves on a newer, more holistic level, leading to better understanding of their needs and bodies. It is not an easy journey but we are here to help out at every step of the way.
LOST&FOUND Skin Lab exists to support women with adult acne take on rituals, practices, and routines to support the health and performance of their skin from the inside out so it can do it's job well.
Read some of our journal posts to learn more, or explore our product range, formulated with sensitive acne prone skin in mind. We've got your back (and your face!).