Acne - not just a youth problem

If you are over 30 and suffer from acne, it is called adult acne, acne tarda. A common reason for adult acne is changes in your hormone balance.

Sometimes even certain drugs that contain steroids can cause acne in adulthood. It is then called steroid acne.

Adult acne can sometimes be confused with rosacea. Having acne can be psychologically stressful but it is important to know that all acne regardless of severity can be treated. All forms of acne can be treated, but it is not enough to just wash "properly", you also need to treat with medication. A combined effort with cleansing, treatment and moisturizing is an effective way to get rid of your acne.

Common skin disease - but untreated

Acne is the most common skin disease but also one of the most subtreated even though there is help available. Nearly 85 percent of all people have acne at some point in their lives. Although awareness of acne is high, it is common that the condition is not treated properly and the physical and psychological effects of acne are often underestimated.

You can get acne at any age, but it is most common in adolescence when you get more hormones and sebum production increases. During puberty, the body's production of male sex hormone increases in both sexes. It stimulates the sebaceous glands to increase the production of sebum. Sebum is there to protect the skin, but when the body produces too much, it clogs the pores. If the pores become inflamed, a pimple appears.

You can also get acne-like symptoms from certain medications, such as cortisone, or from working in a humid and hot environment. Acne is not due to poor hygiene. Sometimes acne can occur if you have clothes that rub or smear on a certain part of the skin. Some medicines can cause acne.

Inflamed sebaceous glands under the skin

Acne, often called pimples, are inflamed sebaceous glands under the skin that appear as various rashes. Acne begins as a rash, a small superficial blister, or as a slightly deeper and sore pimple. In the face, on the chest and on the back, the sebaceous glands are large and you more often have problems there. It is very common to have both dry and oily skin on the face at the same time. The skin is often fatter on and around the nose and forehead, areas where sebaceous gland production is greatest. Most often, the acne rash is on the face, but sometimes also on the chest or back. They mostly heal without leaving scars.

A more severe form of acne causes large and sore fluid-filled cysts in the skin that can swell and ache. This form of acne often leaves scars when it heals. There are a few different types of acne and rashes.

Different types of acne and rashes

Acne vulgaris or common acne is a form that affects all ages and can range from milder to more severe. It consists of white and black blackheads and infected pimples that become dark red spots on the skin. The spots under the skin are infected and therefore you should avoid squeezing them. The cause of acne can include hormones, various products that cause acne or in some cases even drugs.

White blackheads appear in blocked pores. The blockage gives rise to nodules as in the picture and can be inflamed. Avoid squeezing these as well as it can always involve a certain risk of infection.

While blackheads because the pores are blocked and appear as small blackheads on your skin. The blockage is only partial, the black dots are due to the skin coming into contact with oxygen. Blackheads can be difficult to get out and are usually just as good not to.

Occasionally there may be "crater-like" scarring after acne. In some cases milder and not so widespread and in other cases more severe acne scars. There are different treatments if you have severe acne scars, talk to your doctor who can give tips and advice.

Treatment for acne

For mild acne, topical treatment is usually sufficient. At the pharmacy, there are over-the-counter medicines that contain the active substance benzoyl peroxide (BPO) which is applied to the entire affected skin area. Benzoyl peroxide has three main effects; antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and keratolytic (opens up clogged pores) and is widely recommended for the treatment of acne. It is also the only over-the-counter alternative to mild acne that is included in the Medical Products Agency's new treatment recommendations from June 2014.

Good to know when treating with benzoyl peroxide is that your skin can sometimes become dry and irritated, which is often proof that the treatment works. You can then step down and treat every other day every three days until the skin has got used to it. If the irritation becomes severe or in an allergic reaction, discontinue treatment and consult a physician.

It is not always enough to treat with over-the-counter gel containing benzoyl peroxide. There are also prescription gels and creams containing several active substances that together attack the acne from different directions and in more severe acne you may sometimes need long-term treatment with antibiotic capsules (max. 3 months at a time) or stronger drugs. The purpose of the treatments, over-the-counter or prescription, is to treat existing acne and prevent more acne from occurring. If you suffer from acne, do not hesitate to contact your healthcare center or school health service for the best treatment.

Good advice for acne

• The only way to get rid of acne is to treat it with drugs. However, there are some tips on how to prevent and to some extent avoid getting more pimples.
• Wash your face once or twice a day with a gentle and skin-friendly facial cleanser specially adapted for your skin type.
• Initially, use over-the-counter medicines available at pharmacies.
• During acne treatment, you can become dry and irritated in the face, which is often proof that the treatment works. However, the skin usually gets used to the treatment after a couple of weeks. In connection with drug treatment, it is also important to use a mild, non-drying face cleanser and a moisturizing face cream specially adapted for you with sensitive acne-prone skin, preferably with a sun protection factor. Avoid greasy creams and ointments, which can clog the skin's pores and aggravate acne. 
• Do not pinch your pimples. It only worsens the acne.
• In addition to using these tips, it is good to start treatment daily and feel that it has an effect. If your acne affects you so much that you feel mentally ill, it is good to contact healthcare or school health to get rid of your acne. You should definitely not feel bad and your acne and your ailments should be taken seriously. There is treatment to be had!