Causes of Adult Acne

Possible causes of adult acne include:

1) Fluctuating hormones that occur naturally as we mature hormones cause the sebaceous glands to overact. Acne is caused by stimulation of the facial sebaceous glands by androgens, the male hormones. Women also produce small quantities of male hormones; this is the basis of acne in women. It is thought that acne sufferers, rather than having higher levels of the hormones, actually have sebaceous glands that are more sensitive to the hormone.

2) Cosmetics because of their chemical composition, are directly related to the occurrence of acne. In fact, the chemical compounds in cosmetics can react with the skin resulting in rashes, redness and pimples. The skin texture will appear and feel rough. There is little to no inflammation associated with this form of acne.

3) Stress can cause or worsen acne. Acne breakouts are often caused by our body's reaction to stress.

4) An increase of resistant bacteria. Disease-causing microbes that have become resistant to drug therapy are an increasing public health problem. Part of the problem is that bacteria and other microorganisms that cause infections are remarkably resilient and can develop ways to survive drugs meant to kill or weaken them.

5)Women in particular often experience premenstrual acne flares, often around the mouth which maybe mistaken for peri-oral dermatitis. There are usually small red bumps or even pus bumps and mild peeling as the skin is extremely aggravated.

6) Birth control pills are another likely culprit. birth control pills with androgen in them can cause acne breakouts.

7) Pregnancy can sometimes worsen or improve adult acne because it profoundly affects hormones. During pregnancy, acne can both clear and get worse. In early pregnancy, acne often gets a bit worse but as pregnancy progresses, acne can often improve, possibly because of increased levels of estrogen.