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8 Things That Could Be Causing Your Female Adult Acne

It’s no joke when you’re in your 20s, 30s or even 40s and you still have acne. Or, you’re getting pimples for the first time. Weren’t you supposed to leave those at your high school prom?   You’re not alone — 50% of women suffer from female adult acne. You have lots of options.

You really have to know what is causing your acne before you can cure adult acne. Your ovaries create male hormones called “androgen hormones” that cause your bad complexion. But you’re a woman! Even women have androgen hormones. Just less than men. These hormones cause almost all acne through a fairly complex process where they cause dead skin cells to clog your pores from the inside.

Poor hygiene has nothing to do with your pimples.   In fact, the only washing that could help would be to wash away your mom and dad - they gave you the genes that have probably determined your fate when it comes to acne. Since acne is caused by hormones, most of the causes of adult female acne are hormone-related:

1. Hormone fluctuations. This is why most people get pimples during puberty when hormone levels spike. In women, you might get once a month breakouts at a certain time of your menstrual cycle.
2. Stopping birth control pills. Your acne can return with a vengeance when you go off of the pill because estrogen in birth control pills kept your hormones in balance. You can consider other treatment options or go back on the pill if you don’t have a reason not to.
3. Other medications. Are you taking other medications that could be triggering your acne? Anticonvulsants, corticosteroids, and sobriety drugs can all trigger acne. So can birth control pills that contain progestins but not estrogen. You should talk to your doctor before stopping any of these medications, but let your doctor know that you might want a different formulation that will not flare your acne.
4. Heredity. If your mom and dad had acne, chances are that you have inhereted it from them. Thanks a lot!
5. Stress. 25 years ago, dermatologists insisted that stress could not cause acne. Well, they were wrong. We now know that stress can and does increase the production of androgen hormones. So relax. If you learn to control your stress, you might be able to help your skin.
6. Diet. Some foods, particularly milk can aggravate acne and even cause breakouts. Try to keep track of the foods you are eating. If you notice your skin turn for the worse after eating a particular food, try cutting it out of your diet.
7. Skin care products. If skin care products are causing your acne, it is called acne cosmetica (as opposed to acne vulgaris which is caused by hormones) This is caused by oily sunscreens and other products that clog the skin from the outside. If you have acne prone skin, you should only use products labeled non-comedogenic.
8. Underlying condition. If you have other symptoms such as excessive facial hair, bald patches or thinning hair and irregular periods, there might be a more serious medical condition causing your acne. If you have these other symptoms, you should talk to your doctor.

Now you probably have an idea about the cause of your female adult acne. Tailor your treatment options accordingly. Ask yourself the next time you are pitched an acne treatment product if that product is going to have an effect on your condition. Creams and lotions are probably not going to do much good if your acne is caused by hormones, but they can sure make your pocketbook lighter!