You just know adult acne must be a growing problem because suddenly it’s being given an acceptable face. Several very famous ones, in fact, are now out and proud about breaking out. Take the skincare brand Proactiv, which promises “blemish-free skin” with its regime; it has signed up celebs such as Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson and Justin Bieber as its American brand ambassadors. Over here, it has recruited, er, Gabriella Ellis, of Made in Chelsea fame, as its celebrity epidermis.
According to research by Olay, as many as half of British women will experience some type of blemishes in their adult life, and British dermatologists are reporting an increase in the number of female adult acne sufferers seeking treatment. “Because acne is triggered by stress, you get a lot of it in professional women, actresses and people in the public eye or in high-impact jobs, or women stressed out by the business of having kids,” says the dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe. Salma Hayek recently confessed she used to be a sufferer: “I’d wake up in the morning and lie there and touch my face before I got up, just to prepare myself to look in the mirror. The next stage with that sort of depression is food: too little, or too much. I was fat and broken out, I couldn’t leave the house and I couldn’t pay the rent.”
From the look of things now, her spots and rent troubles are behind her. But suffering from adult acne can take a serious emotional toll. According to recent statistics, in America, 18% of acne victims suffer from depression, 44% have anxiety, and 6% even plan to commit suicide because of their skin. “When it’s bad, it can affect my entire state of mind,” says Susan Lynch, 27, who thought her acne days had been left behind with her teens. “The prospect of going out and socialising with friends can fill me with anxiety and dread. It makes me feel unattractive and has an impact on my confidence with men. Only recently, I realised how much I think about it on a daily basis, envying other girls’ complexions and constantly searching and hoping for a solution. I know there are much worse physical conditions that people suffer from and that this won’t last for ever, but it just makes me want a skin replacement.”
Dale Pinnock knows how she feels. “I used to walk around with a scarf over my face,” he says. Though his acne was at the very early age of 10, he found his solution after his friend’s mum gave him a book on nutrition; to this day he still follows an anti-acne diet and notices a difference if he breaks off for a few days. In fact, such was the effectiveness of his food cure, it led him to a career as a nutritional chef and the publication of his new book, The Clear Skin Cookbook. “One of the big reasons for the rise in adult acne is the high-glycaemic diet we all follow — refined carbs, sugary drinks — as well as increased stress levels and environmental pollution. So we’re not talking a miracle cure or replacing conventional treatments, but food can affect what goes on in the body and it’s something we have ultimate control over, so it’s a tool we can use in our everyday life to make some difference,” he says.
Most professionals agree that diet can be important, with the Danish cosmetician Ole Henriksen going so far as to claim: “Adult acne is lifestyle-inflicted. Improper eating habits, excessive alcohol, cigarette smoking and too much refined sugar are huge contributing factors. I have observed that my clients often experience adult acne very suddenly and as a result of stress. This stress causes people to eat the wrong foods, drink the wrong liquids and make poor lifestyle choices that include a lack of fitness and relaxation. After months of making poor choices, the skin responds by forming cystic eruptions and pimples.”
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Dr Penelope Tympanidis, consultant dermatologist at the Harley Street Dermaperfect clinic, says it’s best to look at this issue in a holistic way: “We should blame lifestyle a lot, but as an indirect cause. A lot of adult acne might be hormones — for instance as female adult acne has increased, so too has polycystic ovary syndrome.” The contraceptive pill can also cause problems if it upsets the balance of the female sex hormone oestrogen and the male androgens (men and women have both in different amounts).
Treatment options, she says, are constantly improving, from specialised cleansers to peels, and hand-held devices such as blue-light therapy (which treats redness and inflammation) and the Clarisonic deep cleanser. Ultimately, sufferers should see a dermatologist (you can do this on the NHS, but you may have to wait a few months for an appointment) as not all protocols are suitable for everyone.
As to why adult acne is on the increase, Tympanidis has this to say: “We still don’t know precisely, though it is a phenomenon of the western world.” As for Lynch, she has her own theory. “I blame a stressful job and a boyfriend with a beard.”
The solutions
Yoga Taking time to moderate your schedule will allow your body to relax and the hormones to level out.
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Malin & Goetz Acne Treatment, £16.50; spacenk.co.uk An overnight treatment that dries acne-prone skin and prevents scarring. Apply with a cotton swab before bedtime.
Clarisonic Mia with the deep pore brush head, £120 + £21; clarisonic.co.uk The Clarisonic uses gentle sonic vibrations — like an electric toothbrush — to give pores a deep clean. The brush is completely waterproof, so it can be used in the shower.
Proactiv 4-piece Core System, £39, proactiv.co.uk With salicylic acid, retinol and polyethylene granules, which aren't harsh or abrasive, this regime works to soothe your skin rather than irritate it further.
Avène TriAcnéal, £23, from Boots Combining active ingredients with Avène thermal spring water, this is a refreshing treat for agitated skin.
Fresh fruit Steer clear of carbs, sugars and starches and opt for vegetables and fruits, eat fish regularly, and drink eight glasses of water a day.
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Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light, £229; triabeauty.co.uk This is a hand-held device you can use at home, rather than paying for a trip to the dermatologist numerous times a week. The blue-light technology destroys the bacteria beneath the surface of your skin that other treatments can’t reach. Very much worth it.