Acne in Adult Women

Acne is usually seen as a teenager's problem and is associated with french fries, burgers and chocolate. However, experts say that's not the case. Even adults, especially women, battle the problem.

Thirty-year-old Amy is a makeup artist. She knows if she doesn't clean her face properly, these products could impact her skin. However, she was surprised to find acne can show up later in life, regardless of how well you care for your skin.

Amy says, "As a teenager, I never had any acne, and as I got older, I started breaking out a little more. The last couple of years, I've really been breaking out."

Amy's not alone. According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, one out of five adult women battle acne.

Dermatologist says adult acne is primarily triggered by hormonal changes such as stress, pregnancy and some medications. The acne is caused by their hormone receptors. Anything that stimulates hormone production will worsen their acne.

A lot of women don't seek help, sometimes because they're too busy, and also, they're embarrassed. Kids have acne, women don't have acne.

There's another problem. Many of the treatments don't work. Sixty percent of women either don't respond to standard acne treatments or build up a tolerance to frequently used medications.

You can fight back. One way is with Aldactone, a drug that dries up oils. The most noticeable side effects to the person taking it are severe dry lips, dry eyes, things like that. It dries up the oil, but it dries up everything.

Aldactone works for Amy. Now she hopes other women won't be ashamed to get treatment. There are many treatments available. Some doctors prescribe birth control pills to control acne.