Acne in Adulthood - what causes it?

Spots were once the scourge of hormonal teenage years, a skin problem that was thankfully kissed goodbye come adulthood. But for a growing number of British women, pimples no longer disappear when the school uniform is hung up for good. According to the British Association of Dermatology, around 14 per cent of women aged 26-44 now seek help for adult acne every year, with many more suffering in silence. What is compounding this eruption in skin problems, say experts, is raised levels of stress, poor diets and even too much exercise that combine to create the perfect foundation for peachy skin to become pitted with blemishes. At any age, the underlying cause of acne is an oversensitivity to the male hormone testosterone. “In response, skin glands produce excessive amounts of oil that, along with dead skin cells, clog up in hair follicles, trapping bacteria and triggering superficial pimples and blackheads as well as lumps and bumps beneath the skin’s surface,” says Susan Mayou, a consultant dermatologist  at the Cadogan Clinic and Cromwell Hospital. Mayou says it has always been known that some women are more prone to spots at times when hormones fluctuate such as adolescence, pregnancy and during the menopause. Many more also experience monthly breakouts triggered by the flux of oestrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle. More at the Daily Mail

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