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S e e i n g
s p o t s
Do you ever feel like yo u ’ve grow n up
but you r skin h asn ’t? H ere’s w hat to
do w hen p esky blem ishes send you
on a trip dow n m em ory lane.
BY MELISSA M ILR A D GOLDSTEIN | PHOTOS JEFF HARRIS
B
reakouts in your teens: expected.
Breakouts now: You’ve got to be
kidding! How can this be? Two words:
adult acne. As the name suggests,
the grown-up variety bears little
resemblance to those niggly pimples of the
past. If it’s any comfort, you’re not alone in your
suffering. “I see a tremendous amount of women
in their late 20s to early 40s who have acne that’s
reappeared,” says New York- and Miami-based
dermatologist Fredric Brandt. The goal now is
to find the right skin care regimen to keep you in
the clear.
What's going on?
Acne, zits, pimples, blemishes—no matter
what you call them—they occur when sebum
(an oily substance that bodies naturally produce),
dead skin cells, and bacteria get trapped in hair
follicles.
But how is this different?
To start, it looks different. Teens primarily
see more forehead-focused whiteheads and
blackheads, accompanied by oily skin. Adult acne
produces reddish nodules that cluster around
the mouth and jaw. “There’s an inflammatory
component to adult acne called seborrheic
dermatitis, a condition that causes skin to be oily
and sensitive at the same time,” says Dr. Brandt.
And that means it takes longer to heal.
Why me? Why now?
Genes. Hormones. Stress. Sugar. Take your pick.
Genetics might be at fault if you experienced
acne as a teen, which increases the likelihood
that it will resurface in adulthood. As for
hormones, if breakouts happen once a month
like clockwork, they’re probably linked to your
menstrual cycle. Stress has been shown to play
a role, but it can’t bear all the blame. Although
theories about oily food causing acne haven’t
panned out, there is evidence that processed
sugars create an insulin surge that may trigger
flare ups.
Are my beauty products to blame?
Sort of. Cosmetics don’t cause adult acne, but
makeup can contribute to what dermatologists
call acne cosmetica, small bumps and whiteheads
that appear on the face. The culprit: The same
ingredients—petrolatum, mineral oil, sunflower
oil, cocoa butter, and waxes—prized for their
ability to slow water loss in skin can also trap
bacteria. Acne cosmetica is easy to treat. Where
the bumps pop up will determine how to
respond. If they’re on your forehead, consider
changing hair-styling products. All over the face
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B E T T E R H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S |
MAY 2011 |
BHG.COM
