Understanding Adult Acne

If you suffer from adult acne you understand all too well how embarrassing this kind of skin inflammation can be. Acne is also the number one skin care reason people visit their doctor.

Adult acne afflicts about 20% to 30% of adults between 20 and 40 years of age.

The term acne itself is a catch-all word that includes blackheads, whiteheads, and red spots.

Acne is also most commonly referred to as pimples or zits. 

Most adult acne is of the acne vulgaris variety. (The term vulgaris simply means common.)

A flare-up of adult acne pimples is usually referred to as lesions.

Acne appears most commonly on the face but can also appear on your chest, back, and upper arms.

The symptoms of adult acne vary from person-to-person and include:

Blackheads

The term blackhead refers to black spots the size of a pinhead. Blackheads are superficial and open right on the surface of your skin. In other words, they don't leave scars.

Whiteheads

The term whitehead  is the most common type of adult acne and are usually the first lesions people get. Whiteheads (are also known as or pustules). The reason whiteheads don't turn black is because they're not exposed to the air.

Deep acne

If you have deep acne you’ll find you have deep pustules and cysts which look very irritated. Aside from being red and swollen your pustules and cysts with have visible pus.

Deep acne can be more severe than regular adult acne. If you have deep acne it will not only be red, inflamed and filled with pus but it will also be painful to touch.

It is also common for deep acne to show up on your back and chest. Unfortunately deep acne is the most difficult type of adult acne to treat and may leave scarring.

Sometimes with deep acne your pustules and cysts are buried in layers of skin. If these deeply set pustules and cysts burst, the pus that's released will result in more lesions.

As I mentioned earlier, deep acne can lead to scarring. Because of this, picking at or squeezing your pimples will usually result in your skin taking on a pitted appearance. Depending on the severity of your adult acne this may or may not be permanent.

Scarring is more common in men. This is because deep acne affects more men than women and due to the fact that men typically don't seek out the advice of a doctor as frequently as women do.

While having acne as an adult can be embarrassing, disfiguring and can cause psychosocial problems it is not life threatening. Please note however that if your adult acne isn't treated it can lead to serious and permanent scarring.