Acne On the Rise Among Women

By George K. Verghese, MD

Mid-Atlantic Skin Surgery Institute

. https://midatlanticskinsurgery.com/

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Acne On the Rise Among Women

Teenagers are the age group most commonly thought to struggle the most with acne; however, as reported at the 2012 American Academy of Dermatology's Annual Meeting, dermatologists are finding that late-onset or adult-onset acne is becoming increasingly common in women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s.

A women'smenstrual cycle is one of the most common acne triggers. Acne lesions tend to form a few days before the cycle begins and go away after the cycle is completed. Other hormone changes, such as pregnancy and menopause, improve acne in some women. But some women have worse acne during these times. Stopping use of birth control pills can play a role as well.

Other acne triggers include hair and skin care products including make-up; and certain medicines, such as those used to treat epilepsy and certain types of depression. In addition, if other people in a women's family have acne, there is a greater chance she will have it.

It is a myth that women get acne because they don't wash enough. Too much washing or scrubbing the skin harshly can make acne worse. And washing away surface oils doesn't do much to prevent or cure acne, because it forms under the skin. The best way to clean the face is to gently wash it twice a day with a mild soap or cleanser.

Although there is no one single cure that works in all patients with acne, a dermatologist can recommend patient-specific treatment regimens and lifestyle changes to control acne and minimize future breakouts. Partnering with an experienced dermatologist can help eliminate some of the trial and error that is common with treating acne.

With acne, it's important to understand that there are often no quick fixes, and none of the therapies used to treat acne will work overnight. Acne sufferers need to be consistent when using their acne medications and realize that they may not see the full effects of their treatment regimen for eight to 10 weeks – and in many cases, some type of maintenance therapy is required for long-term clearance of acne.

To learn more about acne, visit AcneNet at www.skincarephysicians.com.