Gone are the days when breakouts magically disappear the moment you leave your teens, never to be seen again. Adult acne is becoming more and more common, and it’s not unusual for people to continue experiencing breakouts well into their 30s, 40s and even 50s.

The reason? There are many. From hormones, to lifestyle, to hygiene and stress, each person’s acne journey is unique. Whether you experience the odd breakout or you’re battling full-on acne, pimples have a way of knocking one’s self-esteem and putting a damper on day-to-day life.

The best way to overcome breakouts begins with education. The more you know, the better you’ll be equipped to deal with them – no matter how stubborn they may seem.

Karen Bester, Medical Trainer at Lamelle Research Laboratories, answers the most common questions about acne and breakouts:

I’m no longer a teenager but I’m suddenly experiencing breakouts again. Why is this happening to me as an adult? 

We all assume that the only time you should get breakouts is when you are in your teens. Even though this is the one time that your body is going through a massive amount of hormonal change, this is not the only time that it happens. Breakouts indicate a change in hormones and we have a few phases in our life when this happens.

What is the difference between breakouts and acne?

The odd pimple can be caused by changing environments, stress, an area of clogged pores or maybe after a peel or resurfacing treatments that creates change in your skin. There would be no irregularity about a breakout. Acne is a chronic condition that is driven by hormones and probably has a link to your genetics. It will worsen with stress and hormonal change. It can also vary from very light to full inflammatory cystic acne.

Can my diet lead to breakouts?

That is an interesting question.

There is no unequivocal evidence that proves that diet is linked to acne or the worsening of breakouts. If there were a strong link then there would be populations that don’t have acne where these foods might be excluded from their diets. No population is excluded from acne and breakouts.

There are individual anecdotal links to diet though and these cannot be denied.

One of the drivers of male hormone in PCOS is insulin resistance. So in the PCOS patient sugary diets and a diet high in carbohydrates might worsen their acne anecdotally.

Can wearing makeup cause breakouts?

Wearing makeup does not cause breakouts. Rather, not removing makeup and sleeping with thick layers of makeup on your skin might cause breakouts. Once again this will vary from person to person. Makeup does not cause acne though. Hormone fluctuations and genetic pre-disposition do.

What type of skincare ingredients and products should I be using to clear blemishes and prevent new ones from forming?

For the odd pimple we love salicylic acid, azelaic acid and niacinamide. These could be included in a cleanser or spot treatment or moisturiser.

Add a Retinoic acid ester to that if you have acne, generally used at night in a moisturising cream or additional serum used with moisturisers.

What should (and shouldn’t) I do when I notice a new pimple appearing?

Keep calm. Don’t fiddle.

At Lamelle we use our Clarity Active Control spot treatment that contains ingredients that calm inflammation, kill bacteria in the pore and remove any blockage of the pore.

Is it normal to develop acne after menopause?

Perimenopause and menopause is one of the times when females have enormous fluctuations in hormones as their ovaries stop their hormone production. This means that there is a lot more male hormone action in their bodies – these would previously be controlled by the female hormones. So it is very normal for women to have oilier skin, get more breakouts and even start losing their hair – all driven by testosterone.

How can I maintain an anti-aging routine while managing breakouts?

When you are using Retinoic acid, as in our Clarity PM Plus and RA Correctives, you are managing the breakouts but also adding a powerful age prevention ingredient to your skin. Retinoic acid increases skin turnover and shedding in the top layers of your skin. This keeps that layer younger and healthy. Retinoic acid also removes elastosis and when you use it for more than 10 months it will show significant collagen production.

Additionally, Niacinamide is also anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing. It helps our skin make good lipid bi-layer that is key in age prevention and correction.

Nobiletin is another interesting ingredient. In Dermaheal we use it because it stops the genetic triggers that cause chronic inflammation that is a key to our skin getting old. In Clarity we use it because it is able to decrease the size of enlarged sebaceous glands in acne and it also makes sebum less sticky.

So when you have acne and you are using Clarity and Acnevelle Plus, you do not need to worry about ageing as Lamelle is already helping you with that.

Are there any lifestyle habits that can lessen my breakouts?

There is definitely a lot to be said for keeping skin clean and healthy. This is done by cleansing and moisturising the skin twice a day with the correct products for your skin. If you do notice a lifestyle habit that is affecting your skin health, try to avoid it. Don’t pick at your skin or pimples and avoid touching your skin too much as our hands do tend to be dirtier. If you tend to get breakouts around your hairline, wash your hair regularly. The scalp tends to be oilier at the hair follicles.

For more information, visit www.lamelle.co.za