It is already well known that acne is the bane of many teenagers’ lives, but new research goes to show that spots also trouble adults.

In fact, more than half of women aged above 30 suffer from acne. Yet many of these women are not willing to seek help for their skin problems. 14% of women aged between 26 and 44 seek help for adult acne, but many more suffer in silence.

Experts believe that busy modern lifestyles have sent our levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) soaring. This sends our glands that produce natural oil into overdrive. This excess oil is trapped by dead skin cells, which clog pores, so blocked bacteria then reacts with the grease, forming spots.

Acne treatments

Just as with teenage acne, adult acne can make us feel self-conscious or unhappy. It may appear not only on our faces, but on other parts of our body, too. The good news is that there are treatments available for adult acne. This includes prescription spot creams.

There are also ways in which you can take care of your skin without the need for treatments. Dermatologists recommend that you wash spot-prone areas of skin with mild soap, or unperfumed cleanser, in lukewarm water about twice every day. Try not to wash more often than this, however, or to scrub too hard: doing so could remove natural oils from the skin that you need to maintain healthy skin.

Acne does not go away overnight, but by looking after your skin, and with the assistance of prescription medicines if needed, there is no reason why you should have to suffer from spots in the long-term.

There are numerous sections of the face and body to deal with when it comes to acne. Some might have them on their nose, forehead or chin others could struggle with pimples that flooded their back, neck and other delicate spots. In order to use the A-list remedies that will restore the spotless condition of our complexion it is important to expand our knowledge on acne and skin problems.

Back Acne

Back acne is generated by the hyper-activity of the sebaceous glands that produce a large amount of natural oil. The oily sebum can clog the pores, a process that leads to pimples. Tight clothes can also contribute to the formation of zits on your back. These irritate and damage the skin causing inflammation and an inappropriate skin condition. An additional factor that ruins the spotless state of your complexion is when you skip showering after a workout session. Body acne can be easily generated by sweat and excessive natural oils that become trapped in your pores contributing to the formation of zits.

Forehead Acne

Pimples on your forehead can be pretty eye-popping and painful. There are different possible reasons for the appearance of zits in this particular area. One would be that you’re wearing hats or any other headwear designs that could carry a lot of bacteria contaminating your skin. Additionally, we must include in the main reasons of forehead acne the various hair styles.

Those who sport bangs might be more prone to having pimples in this section. The locks can hurt and also irritate your pores, moreover these often carry grease or dirt which can penetrate into the depth of your skin layers. Finally it can also appear due to the impact of chemical ingredients from shampoos and conditioners that might get in touch with your complexion.

Chin Acne

One of the most common culprits to name for the formation of chin acne are our dirty hands. Indeed, people unconsciously touch their face more than it is necessary. Therefore, the bacteria and other harmful ingredients might contaminate and damage the skin causing serious problems. Acne is a severe skin condition that can appear on your chin also by using inappropriate skin care products. If you see that a few zits popped up on your chin after using a particular moisturizer or cleanser make sure you quit applying it on your skin. The result will be visible after a few days.

Nose Acne

Nose acne is one of the most uncomfortable and painful skin conditions. Due to the sensitivity of the area, it is pretty difficult to handle pimples especially if you choose the popping method. Zits will appear in this area due to high sebum production and the pores can’t eliminate the amount of natural sebum produced by the gland.

Cheek Acne

Some people might struggle with pimples on their cheeks. Skin specialists claim that this particular section of our face is extremely sensitive. Therefore, it is more prone to fall victim to external factors as the harsh weather conditions and dirt. Cheek acne can be extremely painful and can be easily aggravated if we are obsessed with picking and touching our face. Those who wish to get rid of this type of acne, should definitely keep their hands off their face.

Inflamed Acne

Inflamed acne is characterized by redness and inflammation. Those with inflamed acne will have microcomedones, blackheads, and milia, as well as papules, pustules, and possibly nodules and cysts. Symptoms also include redness, swelling, and irritation of the skin, along with possible crusting, oozing, or scabbing of the lesions.

Inflamed acne ranges in acuity from very mild to extremely severe. Some inflamed acne sufferers will experience only the occasional pustule while others will battle angry-looking cysts. Cystic acne is the most serious form of inflamed acne. Inflamed acne sufferers are most at risk for skin damage and scarring.

Non-Inflamed Acne

Acne can be divided into two categories: inflamed and non-inflamed. Non-inflamed acne breakouts consist of microcomedones, blackheads, and milia. These types of comedones are not red or painful. Symptoms of non-inflamed acne include bumps or bumpiness across the skin’s surface, or an uneven skin texture. Even if comedones are not readily visible, they will make the skin feel rough or “sandpapery.”

People with non-inflamed acne experience blackheads, milia, and closed comedones but rarely have reddened breakouts, such as papules or pustules. Left untreated, non-inflamed acne may progress to inflamed acne.

There are a lot of skin care myths out there. To help you weed out what’s true and what’s not true when it comes to skin care, we put together this list of seven skin-care myths your mom probably never told you about:

Myth #1 – acne is caused by poor hygiene and eating certain foods aggravates the condition. First, acne is not caused by dirt. No matter how many times you wash your face and your body, acne may still appear. The cause of acne is an overproduction of sebum, or oil, which clogs the pores. The rate at which the skin on your face produces sebum is not at all affected by dirt. Hormones, stress, pollution and bacteria are some of the culprits behind the appearance of pimples. Additionally, consuming junk foods like chocolate, soda, fried foods and any other oily or greasy foods will not aggravate acne.  Of course, we don’t recommend that you load up on junk food.

Myth #2 – not washing your face often enough can cause blackheads. Many people have blackheads, especially on either sides of the nose. Just like pimples, blackheads are not caused by dirt, so washing your face more often than usual is not the solution. Blackheads appear when the pores become dilated; the cellular buildup leads to oxidation that causes that black color. If you want to steer clear of blackheads, use a good exfoliating face scrub that is suited for your skin type.

Myth #3 – going to a tanning booth is the safest way to add some color to your skin. This is not true at all. Whether it’s natural tanning under the heat of the sun or tanning under the tanning booth, you’re still exposing your skin to UVA rays. Experts agree that this type of exposure can still penetrate deep into the skin and cause damage like premature aging. In effect, you’re also exposing yourself to the risks of developing skin cancers.

Myth #4 – when looking for products that help shield your skin from the rays of the sun, all you need to look for is a higher SPF. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, an ingredient that is ever-present in sunscreen lotions. Although a higher SPF will offer protection from ultraviolet rays, the SPF will only work in shielding your skin from UVB rays. There are other kinds of ultraviolet rays, including UVA and UVC, which some sunscreens may not necessarily protect you from. A good compromise would be to choose a product with SPF 15 or higher that contains ingredients that block both the UVA and UVB rays from penetrating into your skin.

Myth #5 – the more expensive a skin care product is, the better it is for your skin.

Myth #6 – a skin care product claims to be natural, it should be 100 percent good for my skin. First, there are no regulations in the market when it comes to using the term “natural.” Therefore, even if the product contains only one herbal ingredient, they can still use the term “natural.”

Myth #7 – dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic products will work well for any skin type. What causes allergies for one person may not necessarily have the same effect for another person, so the term “hypoallergenic” is quite vague. Observe which products lead you to have breakouts or skin rashes and steer clear of them.

At the end of the day, taking care of your skin is all a matter of choosing the right products and having a good skin-care regimen that you can follow on a daily basis. Now that you know about the top skin-care myths and the truth behind them, you can make an informed decision about how to better care for your skin so that you can have that clear, smooth, and flawless complexion you want.