Even after puberty and teen years, some women can still experience acne in their adult life. A team of Italian researchers looked at 500 women to uncover factors related to the risk of acne after the age of 25. Some of those factors included low intake of fruits and vegetables, high stress levels, and a family history of adult acne. Although the findings don’t prove these risk factors cause adult female acne, they may still play a role in some cases.
Professor of dermatology, Dr. Debra Jaliman, explained that certain foods – those with a high glycemic index (GI) – have been linked to acne more so than others. High-GI foods are those which cause blood sugar to spike quickly such as white bread or white pasta. Chronic stress, too, is another viable factor contributing to adult acne.
Even though many teenagers are plagued by acne, this often goes away after the age of 20. And yet, around 20 to 40 percent of adults will still have breakouts of acne. Acne breakouts are more common among adult women than men as women experience fluctuations in hormones around their menstrual cycles and also as a side effect of oral contraceptives.
Advertisement
Even though the study did highlight some factors that women can modify – diet and stress – the researchers don’t guarantee that modifying these factors will necessarily rid one of acne, but suggest that it may help reduce it.
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
