So, you made it through your teenage years with a baby-smooth face… does that mean you won’t have to deal with acne as an adult? While it would be a wonderful world (for you) if that were the case, it is far from it. One of the biggest myths surrounding acne is that it’s an affliction of the young. As an adult, many things have been isolated as causes of acne. I’d like to briefly explore a few of them in this article.

Diet

This is probably one of the most hotly debated causes of acne as, once upon a time, it seems that all the “old wives” heaped the blame for acne entirely on greasy food. Diet certainly serves as a cause of acne, thought it’s difficult to nail down exactly what the cause-and-effect relationship is. To say that greasy food equals greasy skin which causes acne is overly simplistic. However, the food we eat does have an effect on our biochemistry which in turn causes acne breakouts. Your best bet is to eat a healthy diet.

Hygiene

No one really wants to discuss this one, so it’s a good thing I’m writing and you’re reading in the privacy of your own home. One of the main biological causes of acne is the dirt and grease on out skin blocking our pores and blocking them; it stands to reason, then, that dirtier and greasier skin is going to be a bigger cause of acne. Just wash and exfoliate your hands and face regularly to minimize the effect of hygiene as one of the causes of acne.

Medication

While it would seem that this association would be easy to make, it’s amazing how frequently a new medication becomes a cause of acne and yet the person taking the medication never makes the connection. If you suddenly find yourself breaking out, when you haven’t previously, please take a moment to think about any medications you may have started in the preceding three months or so as a biochemical interaction frequently causes acne.

Hormonal Changes

Realistically, based on current medical science, this applies more to women than to men. Menstrual cycles, pregnancy and menopause can all be causes of acne breakouts. Apparently, nature decided that wreaking general havoc with your body simply wasn’t sufficient, your skin should also erupt just in case you still have “some” positive feelings towards yourself. The sneaky part, of course, is that it doesn’t have to happen “during” those times to be caused by those times.

Genetics

This is one I hate bringing up because it has such a fatalistic ring to it. Genetics can be one of the causes of acne, and there isn’t a whole lot you can really do about it, except treat with an available solution such as Proactiv.

There are a number of other acne causes, this just outlines some of the most common ones. Rest assured that adult acne is actually quite normal, though I know that this doesn’t help you face your co-workers and friends. If things get too bad, you should consult your family physician for further guidance