Acne is often associated with pimply teenagers, which is just one reason why it can feel so embarrassing if you find yourself breaking out in your early or late 20s or even later in life.  However if you do feel like you’re far too old to be breaking out regularly, you’re not alone, around 14% of the population aged between 26 and 44 in the UK suffer from acne.  Waking up in the morning to a face full of spots can be distressing and can have a negative effect on your confidence and mental health. 

So what causes people to develop acne in the first place? And are there any precautions that you can take to reduce your risk of breaking out in acne in the future?  In this blog we will look at possible causes of acne, preventative measures you can take to stop breakouts and treatment available for the condition.

Causes

Medical experts have some idea of possible causes of acne, but there is no definitive cause that will be true for everyone suffering from the condition.  Experts believe that often acne breakouts are caused by a change in hormone levels, primarily androgen hormones.  Androgen levels rise when teenagers are going through puberty but can fluctuate at other times too.  When this hormone increases it can cause the oil glands under your skin to grow and produce more oil than usual.  When there is excess oil present it can cause the walls of your cells to break down and bacteria to grow which causes acne.

Some studies have shown that genetics can play a part in your susceptibility to developing acne and hormonal changes experienced by pregnant women can also cause acne.

Preventative measures

If you suffer from acne or have suffered from it in the past then there are a number of preventative measures that you can take to look after your skin and to help to prevent future breakouts.  It’s essential that you wash your face twice a day but be sure to only use mild soap and warm water.  Don’t use greasy cosmetics and makeup as they will clog up your skin, if you do wear light makeup then make sure that you always wash it off before bed.

Treatments

Luckily there are now plenty of different medicines and natural treatments out there that can get rid of or improve the appearance of acne.  There are a variety of different prescription medications that can be prescribed to treat acne but they are often harsh on your skin and can sometimes make the condition worse.  At the Opera Clinic we offer safe, natural, gentle and non-surgical acne therapy and acne scar therapy to improve the health and appearance of the skin for people who are suffering or have suffered in the past from acne.