Suffering from acne as an adult? Here's what to do

Suffering from acne as an adult? Here's what to do

No matter what your age, acne and hormonal breakouts are no fun.

Unfortunately, acne doesn't just affect teens. We see and treat many cases of adult acne at The Dermal Diary (and don't worry, it can be beaten, without going to extreme lengths such as some invasive prescription medication).

What is adult acne?

Adult acne is determined by any type of acne breakout between the ages of 18-40, it’s estimated that 80% of adults have experienced adult acne. The symptoms include blackheads, whiteheads and blindhead pimples.

What causes adult acne?

A combination of;

  1. Hormonal disruptions stimulating the sebaceous gland which is deemed as 'hormonal acne' or 'hormonal breakouts'
  2. Incorrect product usage, and
  3. Pregnancy can also be the culprit

How to treat adult acne

A skin specialist can help you determine the cause of your acne, and they will complete a thorough skin analysis to determine whether it’s what you are using on your skin (extrinsic cause) or whether it’s due to hormonal activity (intrinsic cause) effecting your oil production, or both, as is usually the case.

From here, a skin specialist will develop a plan for what will be required if you want to successfully treat adult acne.

The good news? It's 100% treatable, and if you're looking for a Sydney skin specialist who can help, we'd love to see you at The Dermal Diary.

Our top tips for treating adult acne…

  1. Get a professional, thorough skin examination
  2. Conduct a product audit with a professional (perhaps your products are no longer serving you!)
  3. Avoid perfumed products, and skincare with colourants
  4. Introduce an enzyme exfoliator to help clear dead skin cells gently (our favourite one is here)