Adult acne can appear even when your skin was relatively clear during your teen years. Hormonal shifts are one frequent trigger, but stress, genetics, medications, and pore-clogging hair or skincare products may also be part of the problem. For persistent inflammatory acne, AviClear™ acne care is a drug-free option that reduces activity in the sebaceous glands, which produce skin oil.
At Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine in Mill Valley, CA, Dr. Faye Jamali offers AviClear and Face Reality® consultations for adults frustrated by sudden or stubborn acne. She is an aesthetic physician with a clinical emphasis on facial rejuvenation.
Why Can Acne Start Later in Life?
Acne develops when pores clog with oil and dead skin cells, with inflammation and bacteria also contributing to breakouts. Your skin’s oil production can change with your hormones, which helps explain why acne might appear or return during adulthood.
Hormonal fluctuations around menstrual cycles, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, and changes in birth control may trigger adult acne. Stress also worsens breakouts in some cases because stress-related hormonal activity can stimulate oil glands.
Family history matters too. Some people simply have a greater genetic tendency toward acne.
Could Your Products Be Causing Breakouts?
The culprit could be sitting in your bathroom cabinet. Heavy facial products, oily hair products, or cosmetics that clog pores can increase the likelihood of new blemishes. Look for terms such as “non-comedogenic,” “non-acnegenic,” or “won’t clog pores” when you’re prone to acne.
This doesn’t mean you need to strip your routine down with harsh cleansers or aggressive exfoliation. Irritating your skin may make an already frustrating situation harder to manage.
What About Hormonal Acne?
In women, hormonally influenced acne often appears along the lower face, chin, jawline, or neck, although location alone can’t determine the cause of a breakout. Acne often has several contributing factors that occur at the same time.
AviClear takes a different route from hormonal medication or topical skincare. Its 1726 nm laser wavelength targets sebaceous glands to reduce oil production. AviClear is FDA-cleared for the long-term treatment of mild to severe inflammatory acne vulgaris, and Belle Marin typically performs a series of three sessions spaced about one month apart.
When Should You Get Help for Adult Acne?
Breakouts that keep returning, become painful, leave scars, or aren’t improving with your current routine deserve a closer evaluation. Your skin history and acne pattern can help determine which options make sense.
For adult acne care with Dr. Jamali and the Belle Marin team in Mill Valley, CA, contact us or call 415-887-8718.