What Are The Reasons Behind Acne Striking Women After The Teen Years?

Here Are The Reasons Behind Acne Still Plaguing Some Women Into Adulthood? This New Study Offers Some Hints.

Uncovering some factors related to the risk of acne after the age of 25 including a low intake of fruits and vegetables, high-stress levels and a family history of adult acne were researchers from Italy who looked at 500 women. 

Dermatologists said it's plausible that they are involved, whereas the findings do not prove that those things cause acne in some women. 

Dr. Debra Jaliman, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, is of the opinion that tending to break out more are the people who have a diet of junk food as we observe. 

Research has implicated foods with a high glycaemic index thereby causing blood sugar to surge specifically according to Jaliman. Including white bread and rice, chips and crackers, and sugary baked goods are some high GI foods. 

The Triggers For Acne

Chronic stress takes a toll on overall health and which could show up on the skin was Jaliman commenting. 

Having bouts of acne was over 80 percent of teenagers. According to a team led by Dr. Luigi Naldi of the Study Centre of the Italian Group for Epidemiologic Research in Dermatology in Bergamo, Italy, the good news is that most of them see their skin clear up after age 20. 

The researchers added that thereafter anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent of adults continue with breakouts. 

Jaliman further explains that women tend to get adult acne more often than men. The reason behind it is often due to changes in hormone levels and or hormonal imbalances. 

She moves on that when they start or stop birth control pills, and before their menstrual period, women may get acne. 

Why some women continue to have acne while others don’t is completely clear. 

Naldi’s team surveyed women seen at dermatology clinics in 12 Italian cities to look into the question. 248 were diagnosed with acne and 270 were diagnosed with other conditions to serve as the control group overall. 

Does Diet Play A Role In Acne?

Certain lifestyle factors were tied to the risk of an acne diagnosis as the researchers found. 

Compared to women who ate those foods more often, women who ate fruits and vegetables, or fresh fish on fewer than four days out of the week were more than twice likely to have acne 

In the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the findings were published. 

According to another dermatologist who reviewed the study it's not clear though whether fruits and vegetables specifically ward off acne.

Explaining further Dr. Bethanee Schlosser, an associate professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, was found as saying women coming with diets low in the aforementioned healthful foods is found to eat a lot of high GI fare that could be the culprit. 

This conflicts with the researchers' previous work, she also noted that the study found no connection between dairy intake and acne. 

Schlosser says many dietary factors may be tied to acne that might be different for different age groups. 

Women’s stress levels were linked to acne risk along with diet: compared with women who were less stressed, those who reported high or very high-stress levels had a threefold greater risk of acne. 

Among women whose parents or siblings had adult acne, the acne risk was also higher. True for women was the same who had never been pregnant or had hirsutism which is a male pattern hair growth on the face or body. 

Those latter findings may reflect the effects of polycystic ovary syndrome which is a hormonal disorder causing fertility problems, hirsutism, and acne according to Jaliman. 

Concluding Thoughts On Acne And Its Medications 

The study included women with a diagnosis of PCOS or other disorders boosting testosterone levels as Schlosser pointed out. She further states that limiting the potential to extend the findings to the general population of women without hormonal disorders. 

Jaliman, therefore, noted that it's always wise to be mindful of diet and lifestyle even though this study does not prove fish, fruit, or stress reduction will clear a woman’s acne. 

Pointing to meditation as an example, she recommends doing something that you find relaxing for yourself daily. 

That is good for overall health, Jaliman also advise eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and fish