Adult acne, especially severe acne, can put a dent on your self confidence and quality of life. Here are some effective adult acne treatments that you can try in order to deal with adult acne and acne scars.
Most people think that acne affects only teenagers, that acne is just a part of the growing phase. But if you’re past your teens now and your acne just won’t go away, it’s time to try an adult acne treatment that is effective in treating adult acne.
Adult Acne Remedies: Skin Care at Home
- Skin care should start at home. Here are some adult acne treatments that you can try:
- The American Academy of Dermatology suggests being gentle to your skin. This means no scrubbing, squeezing, picking, popping and scratching of pimples and zits as much as possible.
- Wash your face regularly to clear your skin of dead skin cells, dirt, sweat, and excess oil. However, avoid scrubbing since this only worsens the inflammation; no amount of scrubbing can stop the acne or prevent clogging. The purpose of washing is to clean the inflamed pores, not to agitate and worsen them. According to the Mayo Clinic, water and a hypoallergenic soap are sufficient in removing your skin’s surface dirt.
- Check the cleansers, cosmetics, and hair and skin care products you use to make sure they are noncomedogenic (does not clog pores). The WebMD Community Experts also list the following ingredients which are likely to clog pores, including cocoa butter, acetylated lanolin, isopropyl palmitate, and oil-based creams, moisturizers, and gels.
- The WebMD Acne Health Center suggests adapting a healthy and stress-free lifestyle, especially if you have stress-related acne.
Acne Treatment Products: Over-the-Counter Treatment for Adult Acne
- You can also try several over-the-counter adult acne treatments. MedLinePlus suggests the following must-haves:
- Benzoyl peroxide to kill bacterial infection
- Tretinoin or retinol to dry up skin oils and peel the top layer of your skin (may cause redness and peeling)
- Salicylic and glycolic acids to reduce acne lesions and acne scars
WebMD Community Experts also have the following tips when using over-the-counter acne treatment products:
- Try using one product at a time. Using multiple products can traumatize your skin and leave bigger acne lesions and acne scars.
- Give your acne treatment a chance. Your skin reacts slowly to treatment and the inflammation may even get worse before it gets better. Don’t give up on a treatment after a day or a week. Dermatologists suggest using adult acne creams and washes for two to six weeks, by which time you should be able to see results.
Acne Therapy: When Adult Acne Creams Won’t Do
Dermatologists can prescribe the following medications and procedures to ease the skin inflammation and control the hormonal imbalance (especially in the case of adult onset acne):
- Antibiotics (oral: tetracycline, amoxicillin, erythromycin; and topical: erythromycin, clindamycin, dapsone)
- Birth control pills in some cases
- Spironolactone pills may help in hormonal imbalance
- Isotretitnoin (Accutane) for cystic acne and acne scarring (with side effects)
- Dermabrasion
- Injection of cysts with cortisone
- Photodynamic therapy (laser procedure)
- Chemical skin peeling
The list of adult acne treatment listed above is your next option if your dermatologist determines that your acne cannot be managed by self-care measures and over-the-counter medication or if your acne is severe or getting worse with self-treatment.