Acne at All Ages: Re-considering Adult Acne
Usually when we think of acne, we think of awkward teenage years: puberty and popping pimples, and thankfully we outgrow both of them...right? Wrong...at least for the pimple part. While teenagers make up the largest percentage of those afflicted by acne, they’re not alone in their suffering. Acne strikes adults, too — more than half of all adult women and about a quarter of adult men. These figures appear to be climbing. As more the reality of adult acne strikes, it’s clear that acne's psychological, social and physical effects don’t lessen with age.
Why the sudden interest in adult acne?
Exactly why adult acne is on the rise is not clear. In their 1999 study "Prevalence of facial acne in adults," Goulden and Cunliffe found that the mean age of patients treated for acne had increased significantly over the course of a decade, from 20.5 years to 26.5 years.1 This could mean one of two things: Either more adults are getting acne, or more adults are seeking treatment for their acne. And, most likely likely both are true. While some recent studies have suggested that incidences of adult acne are increasing, others suggest that adults (particularly women) are simply more concerned about their skin than they used to be.
Lingering problem, lasting effects.
Whether acne persists through adolescence into adulthood or strikes suddenly after 30, those afflicted can have lasting physical and psychological results. Dermatologists have known for many years that adult acne is more likely to leave permanent physical scars. As the skin ages and loses collagen, it’s much harder for it to bounce back after tissue damage. Psychological scarring through social effects is much harder to trace. For many years, the prevailing perception was that older acne patients were less affected by their condition than younger patients, having accepted its symptoms as part of life. Without a visible peer group, many of these people felt too ashamed to step forward to get treatment. Adults with acne found themselves suffering silently — and most importantly, privately.
Modern perceptions are changing.
Public perceptions are changing, as indicated by two recent developments. First, more adults are coming forward with their skin problems. "I wasn't looking forward to hitting the big three-oh," says Chantal, a Marketing Manager, "but I thought this would be the one thing that would go away. It didn't. Lately it's gotten worse."2 Like Chantal many of today's adult acne sufferers are actively seeking help and becoming proactive. And secondly, the options available to adult acne sufferers have increased dramatically. With a greater variety of treatment options available to meet the demand, sales of both prescription treatments (including oral contraceptives) and over-the-counter acne products have exploded.
More research into causes.
As adult acne gains greater attention, the medical community is focusing more on the problem. Doctors, like everyone else, now consider acne a legitimate adult problem. "Fifty years ago, we were taught that acne was an adolescent condition," said Dr. Albert Kligman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and author of several books on acne. "That is no longer the case."2 With increased numbers of reported cases of adult acne, doctors will be researching the special causes and unique effects of adult acne on older patients. This will further increase public awareness and cause even more people to consider seeking treatment — taking their first steps as adults toward an acne-free existence.
1 Goulden V, Stables GI and Cunliffe WJC, “Prevalence of Facial Acne in Adults,” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, October 1999, pp 577–580.
2 Barnes JE, “Acne: No Longer Just a Market for Teenagers,” New York Times, Business Section, April 27, 2001.
|