{"id":5171,"date":"2026-03-24T11:38:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T16:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?p=5171"},"modified":"2026-03-24T11:38:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T16:38:27","slug":"acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem","title":{"rendered":"Acne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered, “I’m not a teenager, so why do I still have acne?” Although acne is common in adolescence, it can occur at any age. However, there are differences between adolescent and adult acne. Read on to find out how these differences may apply to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Causes of Acne<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Acne is caused by four direct factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Excess oil (sebum) production<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Blocked pores (dead skin cells, keratin protein, and excess oils)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Bacteria\u2014certain microbes thrive inside blocked pores<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Inflammation\u2014excess oil, bacterial overgrowth, and inflammation cause the swelling, redness, and soreness of acne<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These factors can be influenced by other indirect factors, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Hormones\u2014sex hormones (androgens and estrogens) can trigger breakouts, especially during hormonal fluctuations during puberty and menstruation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Genetics\u2014a family history of acne may increase your risk<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Stress\u2014the stress hormone cortisol can spark eruptions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Diet\u2014sugary foods and dairy may<\/em> worsen acne<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Cosmetics\u2014some makeup, moisturizers, and sunscreens can block pores and trigger acne. Such products are called “comedogenic”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Medications\u2014some medications may cause acne. Examples include lithium, corticosteroids, and B-vitamin complex<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Causes
Some of the more common direct and indirect causes of adult acne.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Types of Acne<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Acne can appear in one or a combination of 6 ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Blackheads (open comedones)\u2014blocked pores that appear black at the surface<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Whiteheads (closed comedones)\u2014clogged pores that remain under the skin, appearing white<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Papules\u2014small red or pink bumps<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Pustules\u2014like papules, but contain pus, giving them a white or yellow center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Nodules\u2014larger, firm lumps under the skin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Cysts\u2014severe, deep nodules that contain pus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Types
There are six types of acne eruptions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Medical Conditions that Cause Adult Acne<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Certain medical conditions may cause acne in adults. For example, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)<\/a> is the most common cause of hormonal acne in adult women. PCOS is relatively common, but rarer conditions may also cause acne. Typically, acne caused by a medical condition is severe, treatment-resistant, and accompanied by other symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acne rosacea (papulopustular rosacea) is a subtype of rosacea<\/a>. Acne rosacea causes acne-like red, inflamed, pus-filled bumps on the face that are easily mistaken for acne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike acne, which is more common in teenagers, acne rosacea is typically seen in adults over 30. You can distinguish between acne and acne rosacea by several differences. Unlike acne, rosacea usually involves generalized facial redness or flushing, spider veins, and warmth to the touch. As well, acne often includes blackheads, whereas rosacea does not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Differences Between Teenage and Adult Acne<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adult acne has some subtle differences from teenage acne:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Adult acne tends to be more painful, inflammatory, and deep<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Teenage acne is mostly due to sex-hormone-driven excess oil production, while adult acne is typically more driven by hormonal fluctuations, chronic stress, and diet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Teen skin heals faster from acne, while adult skin is less resilient and may scar or discolor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Adult acne is more difficult to treat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Adult acne is more likely to be caused by medical conditions, such as rosacea or PCOS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Avoiding Adult Acne<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can avoid or reduce adult acne by following a few tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Remove makeup before bed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Only purchase cosmetics or skin care products labeled “non-comedogenic”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Don’t use facial products or shampoos that contain oils<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 It may<\/em> help to avoid high-sugar foods and dairy products<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Avoid skin-care products that irritate your skin (except for acne treatments) \u00b7 Avoid picking at or squeezing pimples, as this may cause skin discoloration and scarring<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treatment of Adult Acne<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Acne
A good skincare routine, used with or without acne medications, helps prevent or treat adult acne.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Treatment of adult acne is similar to that of teen acne but differs in that treating oily skin is a priority for teens, whereas dry skin is usually an issue with adults. Treatment is graded, starting with the basics and progressing to increasingly potent therapies only if needed. Treatment options include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Lifestyle modifications\u2014reduced sugar diet, healthy stress-coping techniques, and effective facial skin-cleansing and moisturizing routines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Topical medications\u2014a variety of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications are available. Some unclog pores, and others target the bacteria in acne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Oral medications\u2014all are by prescription and include hormonal treatments and antibiotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Skin procedures\u2014chemical peels; intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments<\/a>; and cortisone injections into nodules and cysts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Isotretinoin (for example, Absorica, Amnesteem; Accutane is no longer available in the United States)\u2014this oral medication is the ultimate treatment for acne but has numerous toxicities and potential side effects. Therefore, it’s used only as a last resort for severe acne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take-Home Message<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Acne is common among adults but differs somewhat from teenage acne. Understanding these differences can help you to prevent or treat it, beginning with a proper at-home skin care routine and well-chosen products.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered, “I’m not a teenager, so why do I still have acne?” Although acne is common in adolescence, it can occur at any age. However, there are differences between adolescent and adult acne. Read on to find out how these differences may apply to you. Causes of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":5167,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nAcne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem - Health Perch<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Adult acne differs from teenage acne in causes, types, and treatment. Learn how to prevent and manage it effectively.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Acne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem - Health Perch\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Adult acne differs from teenage acne in causes, types, and treatment. Learn how to prevent and manage it effectively.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Health Perch\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-24T16:38:20+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-24T16:38:27+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Acne-As-You-Age-Banner.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andrew Proulx\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andrew Proulx\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem\",\"name\":\"Acne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem - Health Perch\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Acne-As-You-Age-Banner.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-24T16:38:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-24T16:38:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/357d14c6b4e97f11cea136954062cb72\"},\"description\":\"Adult acne differs from teenage acne in causes, types, and treatment. Learn how to prevent and manage it effectively.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Acne-As-You-Age-Banner.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Acne-As-You-Age-Banner.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":627,\"caption\":\"Acne as You Age Banner\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Acne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/\",\"name\":\"Health Perch\",\"description\":\"A Digital Health Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/357d14c6b4e97f11cea136954062cb72\",\"name\":\"Andrew Proulx\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f749d5340f4901e79e0cab8da911957b?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f749d5340f4901e79e0cab8da911957b?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Andrew Proulx\"},\"description\":\"Andrew completed a BSc in Chemistry at Brandon University in 1997, and went on to graduate from medical school at Queen\u2019s University in 2001. He completed an internship and residency at the University of British Columbia in 2003. He practiced as a physician in the ER, hospital, and office settings until 2016. Since then he has gone back to school for his Ph.D. in Psychology, and has worked as a medical writer. He has seven books in print about addictions and mental health, two of which are best-sellers. Andrew enjoys making medical science accessible to people of any educational level.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.healthperch.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/author\/andrew-proulx-md\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Acne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem - Health Perch","description":"Adult acne differs from teenage acne in causes, types, and treatment. Learn how to prevent and manage it effectively.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Acne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem - Health Perch","og_description":"Adult acne differs from teenage acne in causes, types, and treatment. Learn how to prevent and manage it effectively.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem","og_site_name":"Health Perch","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/healthperch","article_published_time":"2026-03-24T16:38:20+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-24T16:38:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":627,"url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Acne-As-You-Age-Banner.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Andrew Proulx","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@healthperch","twitter_site":"@healthperch","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Andrew Proulx","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem","name":"Acne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem - Health Perch","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Acne-As-You-Age-Banner.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-24T16:38:20+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-24T16:38:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/357d14c6b4e97f11cea136954062cb72"},"description":"Adult acne differs from teenage acne in causes, types, and treatment. Learn how to prevent and manage it effectively.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Acne-As-You-Age-Banner.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Acne-As-You-Age-Banner.jpg","width":1200,"height":627,"caption":"Acne as You Age Banner"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/acne-as-you-age-why-it-still-might-be-a-problem#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Acne as You Age: Why It Still Might Be a Problem"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/","name":"Health Perch","description":"A Digital Health Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/357d14c6b4e97f11cea136954062cb72","name":"Andrew Proulx","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f749d5340f4901e79e0cab8da911957b?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f749d5340f4901e79e0cab8da911957b?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Andrew Proulx"},"description":"Andrew completed a BSc in Chemistry at Brandon University in 1997, and went on to graduate from medical school at Queen\u2019s University in 2001. He completed an internship and residency at the University of British Columbia in 2003. He practiced as a physician in the ER, hospital, and office settings until 2016. Since then he has gone back to school for his Ph.D. in Psychology, and has worked as a medical writer. He has seven books in print about addictions and mental health, two of which are best-sellers. Andrew enjoys making medical science accessible to people of any educational level.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.healthperch.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/author\/andrew-proulx-md"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5171"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5171"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5172,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5171\/revisions\/5172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}