Acne can affect people in their 30s, 40s, or older, causing depression, anxiety, and social isolation.
As much as we say that we value the inner beauty of people above their outer appearance, what we see when meeting someone can influence how we evaluate the value of the person. At least, that’s the fear of many adults with acne, which leads them to avoid social or professional encounters so that their facial blemishes don’t make a bad impression or lead to rejection.
Acne is often seen as a teenage problem that should diminish in college years and go down in history when it comes time to find a job; However, according to a survey published in 2008 and conducted among 1,013 adults aged 20 and over, 35 percent of women and 20 percent of men reported having facial acne problems in their 30s. Even among those over 50, 15 percent of women and 7 percent of men said they continued to have problems with these imperfections. For their part, experts say that acne has become an increasingly common problem among adult women in recent years.
In some cases, acne problems that began in adolescence persisted well into this stage, but in others, people developed acne for the first time in adulthood. “Adult acne isolates the person more socially than that of adolescents, since very few peers have the same problem and it can have a tremendous impact on life, ”said John S. Barbieri, an acne specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Natalie Kretzing, a 27-year-old medical student from Philadelphia, had only moderate acne in her teens that turned into severe cystic acne around age 22. “I wanted to be respected as a young professional, but my acne didn’t make me feel like an adult“, he told me. “I had to spend so much time on my looks and makeup that it was exhausting, and I often ended up canceling my plans. It couldn’t be spontaneous because it took me a long time to get ready ”.
Today’s eating habits may play a role
Although it may seem like a superficial skin problem, in reality acne is a complex disorder derived from an interaction between various components of the skin and human hormones. Acne lesions occur when the hair follicles in the skin become clogged with oil and dead cells, which together make up food for bacteria. A hormonal imbalance and emotional stress can exacerbate the problem.
Diet has long been blamed, and now there is mounting evidence that current eating habits can influence the incidence and severity of acne, as Barbieri reported last year. Although some people react negatively to a particular food, in general there is usually a relationship with the consumption of milk and foods rich in added sugars and refined starches. These foods increase insulin and insulin-like growth factor, hormones that can promote the development of acne.
In a study involving 50 adult women with moderate to severe acne published recently in JAMA Dermatology, Barbieri and his colleagues revealed the havoc that illness can wreak on mental and emotional well-being. Women used to have problems with depression, anxiety and social isolation. Like Kretzing, they felt less self-confident at work and, When they dated, they often took obsessive steps to hide their acne from others. British dermatologists also noted that many of their adult patients with visible acne summed up their feelings as: “Nobody likes battered merchandise.”
However, the lesions do not have to be extensive or very severe for acne to be bothersome for those who suffer from it. “The magnitude of the problem is defined by the patient. Someone with only two or three pimples can be very distressed”Said Emmy Graber, president of the Boston Institute of Dermatology. “If people are bothered enough to want you to take care of it, their acne is serious enough to be treated. People may feel embarrassed at work or when meeting new clients. Even on Zoom calls, they could try positioning the camera so their acne is less noticeable. “
A variety of treatments
Most people with acne try to treat it first with over-the-counter products, such as topical retinoids, which can be very useful for those who have mild and sporadic outbreaks. Topical retinoids can make the skin more prone to sunburn, which is why those who use them should take care of the sun.
More severe cases of acne may require a combination of over-the-counter products and a prescription-only oral treatment, such as Accutane (isotretinoin), a derivative of vitamin A that reduces the amount of fat released by the glands of the skin. Because retinoids can cause serious birth defects, women using Accutane must participate in a program to ensure that they do not become pregnant.
Doctors have also prescribed for a long time oral antibiotics, which may have to be taken for years to keep acne under control, but such a regimen runs the risk of contributing to the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. More recently, in women with hormone-related acne, long-term antibiotics have been replaced by spironolactone, a prescription oral medicine to treat blood pressure. This drug has proven to be very effective for women like Kretzing, who no longer care about how people perceive her. “It has made a big difference in my attitude,” she said, “I am more carefree, spontaneous and self-confident.”
In fact, the now successful treatment of her acne inspired her to study medicine and she hopes that over time she can help patients like her get the right acne treatment as quickly as possible. A delay in the resolution of cystic acne like the one she suffered from can lead to permanent scarring. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
