Adult Acne
Adult acne affects nearly 17 million people in the U.S., making it the most common skin disease in the country.
But why does adult acne happen? Dr. Murad, the creator of popular skin care line, describes the process of adult acne formation:
When skin is functioning optimally, the sebaceous glands produce oil that empties onto the skin’s surface.
At the same time, dead skin cells are shed at a normal rate as newer, fresher cells rise to the surface. Sometimes, these dead cells shed too fast, clump together and clog the pore.
This is called non-inflammatory adult acne. If this plug stays below the skin’s surface, it is called a “closed comedone” or whitehead.
If the plug reaches the skin’s surface and is exposed to air, an “open comedone” or blackhead forms.
Contrary to popular belief, the black color is not caused by dirt but rather is due to a process of oxidation.
Besides these non-inflammatory blemishes, you may also have larger, more inflamed breakouts. Inflammatory acne starts when the combination of excess skin cells and oil cause pore-aggravating bacteria to develop. This leads to pimples, redness and overall irritation.
Acne can occur on the face, neck, chest, shoulders and upper back. The most common skin disorder in the United States, acne (acne vulgaris) is a chronic condition that affects all ages, every ethnicity and both sexes. Though not curable, it is highly manageable and controllable.
Adult acne is no different from teenage acne, says Dr. Murad at murad.com. An acne lesion on a teenage boy is the physiological duplicate of that on a premenstrual woman. And both are the result of overly active oil (sebaceous) glands triggered by androgen hormones.
The only real difference seems to be one of placement of adult acne. In adolescents, acne is common on the forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. In women, the perioral area around the mouth, chin and jaw line get the worst.
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