adult acne - a real problem

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It's been a while since I last posted and I've been doing a lot of thinking about things. I've found that women (including myself) tend to deal with adult acne more than adolescent acne. What I mean is that I've known a lot of women who were quite clear during adolescent phase but then developed acne later on. As for myself, I had some pimples during adolescence but nothing big. Most of the time, my skin was smooth and I never had any red marks from pimples. But the moment I turned 22, I developed cystic acne and have had bouts of it for the past 6 years. I am really wondering why this is the case. So (after researching here and on the web) I learned about hormonal testing. I saw an endo today and will get my blood tested in a few days. So for those of you who may know, what have you heard about adult onset of acne in females? In general, is there an underlying health problem (ie insulin problems, thyroid, overabundance of testosterone . . .).

So now this leaRAB me to my second question. I have also read here that diet plays a big role in acne. I have not doubts about that. But when I was 18-19, I ate the worst fooRAB I could eat since I had started college. I mean ate tons of sugar fooRAB (donuts, cakes and cookies at every meal), fast food haraburgers and just about anything unhealthy. But the strange thing is that my skin was beautiful. It was so smooth and I never got even a small pimple (my college classmates would always say I had the perfect skin and I just thought I had probably outgrown that acne phase). But when I turned 22, the bad acne developed (while my diet had actually gotten better). Have any other women with adult acne experienced this?
 
Yep that's exactly what has happened to me too. Hardly ever had a zit in my teen yrs and then at 24 had some medical/hormonal problems and have had to deal with occasional cystic acne ever since. Its awful. I also eat alot better than I did as a teen.
 
I am a male, but have same problem. My face was clear until almost 19, am now 21. My face was really good even though i also ate crap all the time, drank cokes like water and hardly washed face. Now i have a real clean face but bad cysts. I notice my voice didn't get deeper till a little later than usual (like 17) and am starting to grow a lot more hair on my chest and stomach recently. I am wondering if this is a testosterone thing? Like am i a late bloomer or something? I am going to stop weightlifting right now and see if that helps me out a bit. But for me, im sure its the testosterone, will i grow out of it? Since i am a male im wondering if it is going to be different for me, ive only had acne/bad cysts for little over 2 years now, but those two years have been horrible. And im hoping i don't have this in my late twentys and even 30's.

Sigh, acne is the devil i tell you.
 
Diet doesn't CAUSE acne per say, but it can be a big part of clearing it up. I have adult onset acne, and after years of struggle, I'm pretty clear. Just a good corabo of pharmaceuticals and healthy eating. Dieting alone could never cure it for me, as I can't eliminate ALL bad fooRAB. A little moderation helps a LOT, however.

Read posts by Prometheus or Sweetjade, they know the underlying mechanisms in acne, and have good suggestions...
 
This is exactly what happened to me.Perfect beautiful skin growing up turned 22 and my face went to sh**. I tried everything and went to tons of derm. The last one I went to said this is when most women get acne, in their early twenties. I am convinced food/diet has nothing to do with it. I got on accutane. There are a lot of bad things that are said about accutane but I was so desperate I didn't care. I wish I would have gotten on it earlier because it would have saved me from a lot of scars. It was like a miracle drug. My back was cleared up in no time and my face within a couple of weeks. It's been 6 years since I was on it and my face is just like it was in high school; no zits!!!!It is very expensive but my acne got so bad it was worth every penny. Sometimes I go to bed without even washing my face cuz I'm too tired and the next morning it's just fine. I must warn you, some people have said it causes deppression(I can't spell good) you have to sign a lot of paper work because it can be dangerous and if you are planning on getting prenant soon you can't go on it. You have to be on birth control and you have to get blood work every 4 weeks. Most people only have to take the accutane for about 6 months and it is sooooo worth it. I encourage you to check it out. I think accutane is mainly high/extreme doses of pure vitamin A. Keep me informed, I know how you feel.
 
I agree. I really get sick how many dermatologists care less about the true cause of acne and instead, push antibiotics which just cease to work after a short while. The problem is that most dermatologists literally 'run a business' (that's how one dermatologist I know explained it to me) to try and get the greatest nuraber of people thru the door. This means they have less time to spend with each patient and less time for research. So basically they just end up relying on drug companies and pushing their products.

Sorry for the tangent. Anyway, I've read a lot about supplements like Evening Primrose Oil. Supposedly this supplement is a rich source of the EFA gamma-linolenic acid. The body converts gamma-linolenic acid into prostaglandins (hormone-like substances that act as an anti-inflammatory). Therefore, Evening Primrose Oil has been show to improve acne. I guess it's worth a shot (even my endo mentioned that there is no harm in taking it since the gamma-linolenic acid is supposed to be very good for the body in general).
 
I began to develop the more serious acne at age 28....the first time I went off the pill. I am 31 now and am currently about 80% clear with help from birth control pills, but it has taken a while to find the right one, and I still deal with the red marks. Thankfully, I have no deep scars in my skin, but my skin will never be the same. It used to be porcelain like.

It hasn't been that way for a long time.

I have considered going to an endo for testing, but right now, I am trying colonics. Accutane, for me, is just more risk of heavy cysts and scars with no guarantee that the acne won't be back in 6 months. I am not ready for all that comes with it either, however I am glad it worked for you. It just seems that the stories of success after one treatment are few and far between.

I agree that this is a very serious issue and I wish more time was spent finding a cure for women like us.
 
My take is that you have a good chance of outgrowing acne. I think men, in general, have a good chance of outgrowing acne versus women. The reason I feel this way is because a man's hormones don't fluctuate throughout life as much as a woman's hormones do. Therefore, men's bodies usually get adjusted to the changed hormone levels (from puberty) and they tend to 'outgrow' acne. Though I know sometimes men's bodies never get adjusted so they have acne into adulthood. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to experience acne throughout adulthood as a result of the constant changes in hormones (ie during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, menopause, etc). But what is concerning is when the acne is persistent and cystic. And I've come across lots of women who have this type of acne in adulthood and I think this more severe acne has to do with some underlying health issues that may be able to be resolved.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry so much about your acne persisting into adulthood. Frankly, I hardly see men over 25 with acne, whereas I see lots of women over 25 with acne.
 
I can tell you that I got acne at 25 years old and had it for three years (pretty moderate). I tried every diet, every vitamin. I tried desperately to find the underlying cause of this acne that sprang up virtually overnight. Now I am pregnant and have absolutely perfect skin. I never worry about what I eat, how much I exercise or have sex, or anything. I am sure that my hormones simply became unbalanced for some reason when I was 25 and the pregnancy hormones (lots of extra estrogen and progesterone) have cleared my skin. I am only hoping that birth control pills will do the same after I have my baby. I have gotten used to feeling normal about my skin again and will be devastated to deal with acne again - I will be 29 years old.
 
I am a 26 yr. old female. My acne through my teenage years was really bad. I did long term antibiotics, many different topicals, and eventually Accutane at age 18. It did clear me up while I was on it, but within months of going off it the acne came back. In my hurable opinion, the side effects of Accutane were not worth the short-lived benefits. (Had my skin stayed clear from that point on it would be different though.)

Then I moved overseas and went on Diane 35. That was the best birthcontrol pill ever at controlling my breakouts, but at age 25 I decided to go off the pill. During the past year, my skin has just gotten worse and worse.

I thought I was supposed to outgrow this! So I went back to a dermatologist for the first time in 7 years, and the first thing she wanted to do was put me on antibiotics. I'm sorry, but I don't want to take any more long term medication that can only damage my body in the long run. It is soooo frustrating! Which is the lesser of 2 evils: Birth control pills or antibiotics?

Right now I am trying the topical route again, along with healthier eating, vitamin supplements, and the like. I just hate having to deal with this all over again! :mad:
 
What about when you've been tested for hormones, Thyroid, everything, and you turn up as healthy as a horse? How does overnight chronic acne occur at 23?
 
I'm really not sure how it occurs overnight, especially since I never had it before and it doesn't run in my family. So I'm merely trying to understand the factors that may have caused it for ME. Maybe over time my skin has become overly sensitized to hormonal fluctuations or maybe it's a result of some underlying factor. Whatever the case, I want to try and find something that will help me since everyone neeRAB a different type of treatment based on their background and genetic makeup.
 
First off, I just wanted to say how glad I am to have found this forum and board on the Internet. I am 32 years and 8 months old male. Something happened in the past 6-7 months, and I can't figure it out because I have developed a serious case of acne on my face. At first, I talked to some doctors who weren't dermatologists, and they all assured me that my face would clear up. I then noticed some serious scarring (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) that was forming on my face. In the past, I would pop my zits and after 4 or 5 days, my face would be fine. But now, every pimple seems to leave some sort of residual mark on my face.

So now, I am super depressed. I tried retin-a micro for 2 months, but it was really irritating to my skin. I went to a dermatologist last week, and he put me on accutane. Like bellagi, I used to eat unhealthily (for 32 years!), and my face was always fine. I am guessing that since I started up drinking again about 3 years ago that maybe that had something to do with it, but I see lots of drinkers with great skin. But I have decided to stop drinking while I am on accutane.

In any case, I now feel like a prisoner in my apartment, and I am afraid to go out or do anything. Who gets acne when they are 32? Dfwgoodguy was right when he said "acne is the devil, I tell you." Being single is also a major bummer...I regret not getting into a relationship when I had the chance (and had nicer skin). :(

Sorry for venting. Thanks so much for reading.
 
Hey - I know how it is... first off don't drink coffee if you can help it... second, if you're using Tide, quit. Third try a product called Lbri - I did and it worked. It's apparently made with almost all aloe and is so concentrate you have to use water but it's very mild.

And no, this is not a commercial... I really mean it. Find them on the web and try it.

:) Lisa
 
I would never take antibiotics long term. They make me sick to my stomach. The pill would be great at regulating hormones, so that's the direction I would go it.
 
I am a 41 year old female with mild adult acne. Through my teen years, I had some breakouts but somewhat cleared up for a while.

I am currently using Aveeno Clear Complexion Soap and Aveeno Clear Complexion Treatment. So far, this is the only things I could find to even clear the acne up a little.

I drink a lot of coffee and use Tide. What is the deal with these?
 
Just out of curiosity, have any of you changed anything shortly before your acne got worse that you can attribute to it? I have always had acne to some extent, but it seemed to get worse when I went on a low carb diet. The following things changed at the same time:

- I starting eating a lot more meat and cheese
- Starting taking a multi-vitamin

Now since then I have stopped dairy since that seems to be a big problem for a lot of people, and I have stopped the multi vitamin since I hear they are usually bad quality. It also had iodine, which could have been a culprit. Now I am taking a hair vitamin (with biotin, B5, and many other good things in it). It is too soon to tell if I am going to have improvement, but I am trying many other things:

Differin at night, Benzaclin in the am
Water with lemon juice in the am
Hair/skin vitamin with extra zinc
I did by evening primrose oil, but haven't been taking on a daily basis yet
Aloe gel am and pm, followed by Vitamin E cream as a moisturizer
Cetaphil as a cleanser
Overall low carb diet with veggies, fruit, raw nuts, meat, fish, high fiber cereal w/ almond milk (no dairy or soy milk)

We'll see if any of this helps out in a few weeks. We can always hope, right?
 
Ok, this is my first post and it seemed like a good place. I am a 38 year old male...and yes....I freaking still get pimples. I had mild acne as a teen, then was free of it for several years in my early 20's. Then poof, it came back again and has never left me.

It certainly is not a severe condition, but as most of you know, it only takes a few to make it seem severe sometimes. And at my age, I obviously feel quite odd still having pimples. I also have skin that can get very oily.

Now for the semi good news. After years and years of not going, I finally went to a dermatologist last August. While I was not comfortable with the quick visit and the feeling that I was being rushed out, I did at least get a RAM prescription. I committed myself to using it for a couple of months before deciding whether it was or wasn't working.

I experienced the usual stuff after starting the RAM. Got a few extra breakouts the first few weeks. Got the dryness and flakiness, although not much redness. I was using a very, very small amount every other night and slowly moved on to every third night. I am still using it every third night and I have to say that it has made a huge difference for me. I have not been getting as many pimples nor have I been getting the deep painful kind that I would get from time on my cheek area. I still get the dryness, but not as bad (and a price i am willing pay to not get deep bad pimples).

Along with the RAM, I have started using B5 to try and further reduce oiliness. I started that the beginning of this year. I only did a gram a day at first, but now I am up to three. I think that's where I will stay for now. I have definitely seen a decrease in oil, but would honestly love to see more.

So where does that leave me? Well, my skin is much better, but I still know that potential pimple activity lurks near. I still get some really tiny ones which are barely noticeable but enough to tell me I still have this condition.
I naturally wonder when/if I will ever grow out of it. I know that it is more common for women to have acne at this age, but not men. I guess the good thing is that I could pass for younger due to the oily skin keeping my face from getting aged looking.

So anyway, that's my story. I'm married and have a 7 year old son and I so hope that he will not have more than mild acne when the time comes for that. I want to share alot with my son but not staring in a mirror popping pimples together.

Oh, and this board has been helpful. It helps me realize I am not the only one that thinks acne is a huge evil and I find that some people's thoughts and actions are similar to my own.
 
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