Adult Acne vs. Teen Acne

Adult acne affects 25% of all adult men and 50% of adult women. One third will be affect by facial scarring and also have acne on their body. Dermatologists are also reporting that they are seeing more adult acne than in previous decades. (1)

Dermatologists also report that approximately 75% of teens between the ages of 12 and 24 will also experience acne in mild, moderate or severe form. Many of these teens will also require either over-the-counter medications or prescriptions from a dermatologist in order to clear their skin. (2)

Regardless of when someone struggles with acne, it can be difficult both emotionally and physically, and cause depression and social anxiety in either adults or teens.

Adult acne and teenage acne are different in several different respects. In the first case, quality and function of the skin will be different between a teenager and a 40-year-old. This means that the products used in order to treat the acne condition must be different in order to accommodate the individual who is using them.

Another key difference between teenage acne and adult acne is the underlying oily skin. Adults will either have dry or oily skin but many teenagers who suffer from acne will be plagued by oily skin, especially in the t-zone. The T-zone is the area across the forehead and down the center of the face to the chin.

It is the excess oil production, often from imbalanced hormones in the teen years, combined with bacteria and dead skin, which can easily result in a large number of whiteheads, black heads, pustules and pimples.

However, adult acne often accompanied by dry skin, is even more problematic. Because of the misconception that moisturizers can negatively affect an acne outbreak, many adults also suffer from dry and flaking skin, causing a rebound oil production in the lower layers. Adult acne is not always accompanied by the same emotional roller coaster that teenagers experience, but it does continue to cause enough angst that women will not leave the home without makeup and men will grow a beard in order to cover up their outbreaks.

References:

(1) Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: The Prevelance of Acne in Adults 20 Years and Older

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17945383

(2) British journal of Dermatology: The Prevalence of Acne Vulgaris in Adolescence

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1971.tb07195.x/abstract