A Painful Affair: Adult Cystic Acne
Many adults get through their childhood and adolescent years without much of an acne problem only to find that when they become adults, all of a sudden they are faced with adult cystic acne. This can be quite painful and embarrassing, since it is commonly thought that only adolescents get acne. However, it is quite common to have adult cystic acne due to the changing hormonal patterns of the body, especially in women. For instance, after a woman has a baby, the hormonal changes may cause the woman to get adult cystic acne. In addition, during or after her period is a common time to also be faced with an acne problem. Adult cystic acne is not limited to women however, it is also found in men at different stages of their lives.
The Problem and The Solution
Hormonal changes can cause the sebaceous oil glands in the skin to become hyper active, creating too much oil that is not needed by the skin and tends to clog it. This mixed with dirt and bacteria causes the skin to become infected and forms the pustules under the skin which are cystic acne. These pustules sometimes take the work of antibiotics and other medications to get rid of them since they have a tendency to spread if scratched or squeezed, as is natural for individuals to do. This is the worst possible thing that can be done with adult cystic acne, however, because not only can the acne spread to other areas of the skin, but it can also cause deep dark cystic acne scarring to the skin which is permanent. The only way to get rid of the scarring is through painful and expensive treatments such as dermabrasions or laser resurfacing to smooth out the skin again, costing thousands of dollars and weeks off of work.
The best treatment for adult cystic acne is to keep the skin as clean as possible at all times. A cleanser should be used twice per day that is designed to remove all excess oil and dirt from the skin. Following the cleanser, an exfoliating agent should be used to help remove dead skin cells and any other oil and dirt that the cleanser missed. After that, a light moisturizer should be used that replenishes the skin without adding more oil or dirt to it. For women with adult cystic acne, it is important to buy make-up that is light and hypo-allergenic to reduce the chances of clogging the skin. It is extremely important that these women remove makeup every evening so that the skin is clean and free of dirt and bacteria on a daily basis.