I´m turning 24 years old in a couple weeks, and I still can´t get rid of my acne! What could be causing this, and what can anyone recommend for adult acne? And could it be that I have another condition? By the way I don´t have it all over my face, just a zit here and there at a time.

I'm 21 and have a some acne every now and then. It can be caused by a variety of factors: hormones, how often your skin sloughs off its dead skin cells, stress, genetic stuff. I'm using Proactive right now and its working okay (although not perfectly). It seems to work better for those like you who don't have major acne problems. You can also try washing hands more often, touching your face less, make sure you get enough sleep.

Some people have acne all their adult life - the term is referred to as "adult acne" (real original, huh). Acne is nothing more than clogged sebaceous glands. They get clogged with sebum which is an oily substance mixed with fat and skin cells.

A lot of things can cause adult acne...medications (including birth control pills), pressure on the skin (like holding a phone against your chin), certain industrial chemicals, changes in hormonal balance, stress, and cosmetics. And contrary to what your momma may have told you, chocolate and greasy foods don't cause acne.

The best thing to do is have a good cleaning regimen. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. I cannot stress that enough. But use a soft exfoliating scrub. Many have ground up walnut shells or ground up apricot kernel as an abrasive. YUCK, that only causes microscopic tears in the skin. So when picking out exfoliate read the ingredients carefully. Try looking for an exfoliate with alpha-hydroxy acids. And remember, if any ingredient sounds like it would hurt to walk on it bare-foot then it is too much for your face.

Also use a facial cleaner that is medicated with either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. You might also want to invest in a blackhead extractor. They can be found in the cosmetic section (usually over with nail care implements) and are used to remove the oil buildup before a pimple appears. Just clean it with alcohol and press it flat against the skin with the eye of the extractor over the blackhead and gently press down into the skin. A "column" of sebum should be pushed up out of the skin. If you keep an eye on problem areas and do this it will decrease the amount of pimples you get.

But just know, even with the best skin care regimen you will always have a flare-up from time to time. When that happens, avoid picking at the areas and a good old fashion modeling trick that helps, apply a daub of mud mask or toothpaste to the pimple overnight and it will dry up quickly.

That´s some good advice. You know, I do tend to rest my hand on my cheek while reading and that´s where I tend to get my pimples. If I had a phone, that´d probably be a problem too. I don´t wear too many cosmetics. So that can´t be it.

My husband swears it´s because of all of the chocolate I eat.

Jusork... is proactive expensive?

It is rather expensive actually. I forgot to mention that. I think I got mine for around $40. You also can't find it in stores. You have to either order it from those TV commercials or I've heard they have some Proactiv vending machines (they're big and respectable-looking) in some malls. They've got one at my college.

This site sells the product.

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I know of a number of people, including my daughter who use Proactive and it does appear to work -- I have never used it, but have never really had an acne problem -- but if I did -- I would certainly purchase at least a months supply. By the way, if you do buy it, make sure you realize that it will stain your washcloths and let it dry very well before you place your head on a pillow.

Acne runs in both my family and my wife's. I was a real pizza-face at age 16. My son was also badly affected as a teen and conventional treatments had failed. He saw a dermatologist who prescribed Accutane (isotretinoin) as a one-time therapy. I don't know the overall success rate, but in his case it was a miracle drug. The acne cleared up and remained under control ever since (he's now in his mid-20s).

Accutane is available only by prescription and it is known to cause birth defects. Female patients must run a gauntlet of warnings, precautions, pregnancy tests, and contraceptive measures before using it. However, that may be a small inconvenience lasting a few weeks if it solves your acne problem. Also be advised that the drug is also quite expensive. For more info, do a Google search on it.

Just something to consider. Good luck!

Hi,don't worry.The following nutritional components may be beneficial to help balance hormone production as well as promote good skin health. Chaste Tree Extract and Burdock Extract have traditionally been used to address hormonal imbalance for both men and women. Burdock Root is a good natural detoxifier for the body. Flax Seed Powder contains essential fatty acids that are thought to be beneficial in reducing inflammation. Zinc and Vitamin E are important nutrients that promote the healing process of the skin. Vitamin A has shown great effects on Acne by reducing sebum (an oily lubricant) and keratin (a protective protein that covers the skin) production. Vitamin E and Selenium are strong antioxidants and both can potentiate the therapeutic effects of Vitamin A.

If you are concerned or unsure about your symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider for professional medical advice.

Hi! It's nice to be here...at the same time to give some advice re: your pimples/acne problems. Let's begin with this question:

What are the Causes of Acne - Pimples?

Acne occurs when hair follicles are clogged by dead skin cells. Hair follicles produce an oil called sebum.

If this oil builds up in the clogged pore it becomes infected, and the hair follicle becomes inflamed.

If the follicle bursts, the infected matter inside the pores spreads across the skin, infecting the surrounding area and creating new pimples

Prevention and Remedies for Acne

Acne prevention is a bit of a misnomer if it implies there's a cure. There isn't. Acne prevention actually means preventing outbreaks, and there's plenty you can do to avoid the recurring pimple.

Outbreak prevention covers a wide range: from the day-to-day preventive measures you can take to the acne products and remedies on the market.

Follow a gentle approach. Wash gently, and dab your skin clean. You're trying to remove excess oil produced by your skin pores; scrubbing hard will actually force the oil and dead skin cells back into the pores.

You can use the assorted acne products that clean the skin, but avoid those products that claim to dry out your skin. Your skin needs moisture and, without it, your pores just produce even more oil.

Thanks and more power!


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This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,

ok, this is going to sound harsh,
but i had acne as a teenager, and what i did was at night, I would rub Vinegar all over my face with a cotton ball. it would dry your skin out, then in the morning I would wash my face and put this thing called Palmers Cocoa Butter on my face to make the skin steady. I did that for 2 weeks,
and it took care of 90% of my acne, I still had a pimple here and there, but it worked for me.

(I STRONGLY CAUTION YOU NOT TO GET THE VINEGAR NEAR YOUR EYES.)


DISCLAIMER: SeattleRon aka Ron Strong is not responsible for any alergic reactions, swelling,
dryness,itching, or skin peeling this treatment may cause. SeattleRon is not a medical professional,doctor, or posesses a PHD of any kind. Any medical advice SeattleRon has given is not or never has been approved by the FDA.

Acne treatment can be very time consuming process. Many people get tired treating acne and getting no results. They change the acne medication, try herbals and home remedies but get no results. Acne treatment can be speeded up greatly if you follow some basic care. Good skin care stops aggravation of acne and help cure acne. Let us look at some of the skin care tips for acne treatment.

1. Don't squeeze out blackheads or whiteheads. Squeezing may lead to further infection. Squeezing also increases the pore size. If you want ask your doctor to remove the comedones.

2. Excessive sweat or dirt does not cause acne. What we see as black in blackheads is not dirt, but oxidized sebum. This does not mean that one should keep skin dirty. But excessive cleaning of skin will not cure acne. Excessive cleaning may rather aggravate the condition.

quote:

Originally posted by Julieta Martinez:
I´m turning 24 years old in a couple weeks, and I still can´t get rid of my acne! What could be causing this, and what can anyone recommend for adult acne? And could it be that I have another condition? By the way I don´t have it all over my face, just a zit here and there at a time.

you can try Natural Brands for Skin Care products.

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: MrsS,