What Causes Adult Acne?

Adult acne is more common in women than men and usually occurs between the ages of 21 and 50. Acne in adult women can vary and look quite different than a teenager. Which often times makes it easy to misdiagnose. Many women mistake their blemishes for an allergic response to a skincare products but this is rarely the adult acne causes. The majority of the cases are triggered by a reaction to hormones.

It’s important to see a dermatologist or physician for a proper diagnosis if you’re uncertain which condition you may have. Stress can also cause hormonal changes because it releases cortisol and androgen hormones, which can increase oil production.

Adult males don't have to contend with the hormonal ups and downs like women do. But acne can appear due to many factors like stress, prescription drugs, steroids, friction from headbands, hats or athletic gear, exposure to heat and humidity, hair products, greases, and sunblocks.

Different from acne, shaving bumps are caused by ingrown hairs which barb back into the hair follicle, yet both conditions can have a similar appearance and both can become infected with bacteria and cause redness and inflammation.

Is There an Acne Gene?

Actually, there could very well be an acne gene. There is no doubt that acne is passed from generation to generation. If one parent had acne as a teenager, the child's chances of developing acne double. If both parents of the child had acne as teenagers, the child's chances of developing acne double again and are actually at nearly 100%.

Heredity plays a large part in what we look like. Our height, our body shape, the color of our eyes, the color of our hair, the shape of our faces, etc., are all physical traits that are inherited and so too, sadly, is the propensity for getting acne.

The good news is that the chocolate, French fries, sodas, candy bars, hamburgers, pizza, and the other good stuff that you eat and drink are not responsible for your acne. You didn't cause your acne by eating those foods. Acne is one of those things that you really can blame your parents for if you need to blame something or somebody. It isn't YOUR fault. Finally! Something that isn't YOUR fault! Don't you feel like celebrating?

The fact is, however, if one parent or both had acne in the teenage years, it is vital that you get early care. Like most human problems, the earlier the acne is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome will be.

There are new treatments all the time for treating acne. Light treatments are new and are showing a great deal of promise. Acne has been a human problem probably since the beginning of time. It won't kill you, but acne can leave scars — physical and emotional scars — so getting early treatment is essential.

There's more good news. Acne doesn't last forever. You really will get past your acne years and if scars are left, well, those can be removed.

Is Acne Contagious?

The short answer to the question "Is acne contagious" is "NO, acne is not contagious." Let me explain.

A pimple, blackhead, or zit appears on the skin because a sebaceous gland has produced too much sebum. The sebum has combined with dead cells. The pore is blocked and the result is a bump…a pimple…a zit…on the skin. We all have sebaceous glands everywhere on our bodies except in the palms of our hands and on the soles of our feet — even where hair doesn't grow. The bacterium, P. acnes, is on everybody's skin in abundance. P. acnes is the bacterium that causes a pimple or zit to be inflamed.

So, here's the deal. You can't "catch" a hormonal imbalance, and you can't "catch" sebaceous glands. You can't "catch" sebum or dead skin cells. You can't "catch" blocked pores, and you can't "catch P. acnes bacteria. Therefore, acne is NOT contagious.

Can you "spread" acne on your own skin? The answer to that one is an unqualified YES. You can make your acne worse in a variety of ways.

First, believe it or not, scrubbing your face really hard helps to worsen the acne. You should always wash your face and neck with pH-balanced soap and only use a gentle circular motion with JUST your fingertips. Do NOT use a washcloth.

You can aggravate your acne by RUBBING your face dry after it has been washed. Only PAT the skin, and do it gently.

You can aggravate your acne by reusing a towel. Always, always, always use a clean towel every time you wash your face.

You can also aggravate your acne by picking at or mashing pimples and blackheads. The pressure irritates the surrounding tissue and makes it much more likely to develop an acne lesion.