Late Trauma: Why Do Adults (Post-Teens) Get Acne?

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With the kind of family history that I have, most of my cousins have acne in one form or another, except my cousin Deborah, who was the object of general envy because, at 24, she had perfect, glowing skin and was thought to have escaped the family curse. Lo, by the time she was 26 and about to get married in two months, she developed acne, and it has persisted. Now, at 31, she has the typical acne victim’s scarred and pockmarked face and has become famous in the family as the one that almost got away.  

 
The point is that acne does not affect only teenagers. Plenty of adults (post-teens) get acne too, though no one seems to know why. From what I’ve read and heard, acne affects roughly 25% of adult males and 50% of adult females. People can develop acne, or suffer a recurrence of acne, into their 30s and 40s and even beyond.

 
By general consensus, adult acne seems to be tied up with hormonal irregularities, particularly in women, who are likely to develop adult acne if their menstrual cycle shows signs of hormonal irregularity. And most adult women are likely to develop rosacea, which is not exactly acne, but darn sure looks like it and can be just as damaging socially and psychologically.

 
Studies show that cases of adult acne are increasing, and the American Dermatology Association has found that the median age for acne patients has risen from 20.5 years to 26.5 years. In the USA alone, more than 17 million adults have acne. While many of these people may have suffered from acne in their teenage as well, many more have developed it as adults. The core reason seems to be the same as in teen acne: overactive glands that produce excess androgen and thereby stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more oil that clogs the pores and follicles in the skin. But does that make adult acne easier to bear? I wouldn’t say so.