Acne while you’re busy adulting?
Most of us struggled with pimples or acne during our teens. Eventually, as our reproductive hormones settle down, so too does our skin.
With the spotty years of our teens long behind us, we can feel confident in our appearance.
But then adulthood, and out of nowhere, breakouts begin to appear once more. But it’s different this time, and the breakouts seem less infected and more inflamed and are located around the chin and jawline.
What’s going on with your skin?
There are times in life when our hormones can betray us. As early as the mid-thirties, the balance of reproductive hormones can change, and even with slight changes in hormonal fluctuations, the symptoms of adult-onset female acne can appear.
Treating your skin like a teenager?
Unlike teenage acne, adult-onset female acne is not merely a build-up of oil and dead skin cells congesting skin follicles, leading to blackheads and breakouts. Adult-onset acne is more likely to appear as inflamed lesions that can be painful and slow to heal.
If you roll out the remedies of your youth, you may be disappointed and likely to disrupt the skin’s acid mantle and lipid barrier, aggravating the problem.
Tackling hormonal or adult-onset female acne will take a three-pronged approach to relieve and prevent future symptoms.
A three-pronged approach for treating adult acne.
#1 Medical-grade skincare solutions.
While not a magic bullet, medical-grade professional skincare products remain essential in maintaining the skin’s health. When the skin is under the stress of acne, it needs all the love and kindness you can give it!
The most important aspect of optimal skin health is maintaining the acid mantle, which protects the skin from external invasion, inflammation, and bacterial infection.
Cleansing your skin.
Choose gentle cleansers that protect your skin’s protective acid mantle and lipid barrier; the harsh and astringent products of your teen years will not do.
Although proper facial cleansing is vital to the health of your skin, the oil and debris that accumulates on the surface of your skin don’t cause acne. You do not, nor should you, be overzealous in cleansing in the hope of ridding yourself of acne.
Moisturising your skin.
You might think that a lightweight moisturiser is your best option. However, your skin needs to be adequately protected as dehydrated skin will be slow to respond and heal.
Moisturisers with glycerine, essential fatty acids and antioxidants support the skin while keeping it hydrated and comfortable.
Specialised homecare
Look for helpful support from medical-grade skincare with alpha-hydroxy acids, like lactic acid and beta hydroxy acid salicylic acid, which exfoliates and encourage cell renewal.
Serums & Lotions
Any serums recommended for you should contain retinol to improve cell turnover, niacinamide to support the skin’s immunity, and vitamins C and E to improve skin resilience, speed up the healing process and minimise scarring.
#2 Clinical treatment solutions
LED Light Therapy machines, specifically blue light, can be a valuable tool to minimise infection and inflammation, combining the best results with other treatments and solutions.
Your skin care professional will recommend a series of 3 to 6 sessions under the Blue Light from an LED machine over a 4 to 6-week period to diminish bacterial infection and inflammation, promote healing, and restore skin health to prevent future breakouts.
#3 Diet and lifestyle
Chocolate alone does not cause acne. Of course, other foods like sugar, too much dairy, or processed foods influence your overall health, but no single food or food group will cause adult acne.
Seek a balanced diet with lean proteins, a variety of colourful vegetables, and low-sugar fruits like berries, which provide a source of vitamin C and are rich in antioxidants.
An adequately hydrated body will function better, and increasing your water intake to 4 – 6 glasses a day will support your kidneys in flushing impurities from the body.
Include the essential fatty acid Omega 3 in your diet. Omega 3 can only be obtained through your diet and is vital to the health and hydration of your skin. Look for healthy food sources rich in Omega 3, such as fatty fish like wild-caught salmon, marine algae supplements, and flax seeds.
Gently exercising, such as walking, will stimulate the movement of lymph through the lymphatic system and flush toxins from the body.
A final thought.
Adult-onset female acne is not uncommon as our hormones switch gears in our mid-thirties. You’re not alone; over the years, I’ve met many women whose confidence has been rattled by the onslaught of inflamed acne.
It’s a troubling hormonal topic, but before throwing your hands up in complete frustration, remember that a thoughtful approach will help you reduce your symptoms.
Proper nutrition combined with effective medical-grade skincare and specialised treatments such as LED Blue Light therapy will all play a significant role in solving this skincare dilemma.
Help is always a click away. If you’re suffering from adult-onset female acne and have more questions, you can contact me here, or if you’d like to know where you can find Obagi medical-grade professional skincare and LED Blue Light, you can visit The Global Beauty Group.
See you next time,
